The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
by Dellzi
Summary: This book is basically the game Twilight Princess as a book, but now we know Link's thoughts and feelings! Please enjoy, and I do not own any part of Zelda: Twilight Princess whatsoever. Nearly everything belongs completely to Nintendo.
1. Chapter 1

"Tell me...do you ever feel a strange sadness as dusk falls?"

Link resisted the urge to say, "Yes. I cry myself to sleep each night", considering Rusl's thoughtful, sad expression. Instead he shrugged. "Do you?"

Rusl gave a slight nod of the head. "They say it's the only time when our world intersects with theirs...the only time when we can feel the lingering regrets of spirits who have left our world."  
As soon as Rusl said this, Link thought of his grandmother, who had raised him. She had died five years ago with the words, "You should know, Link...You aren't who you think you are. But you will figure it out one day," on her deathbed.

Link closed his eyes, remembering the way her shaking fingers had then gripped his left hand, which possessed a strange, glittering mark on the back made up of three triangles, which he'd had since birth. "You are destined for great things," she'd whispered. But when she saw him shed another tear, she added, barely audible, "Just don't let your hot head get you into any trouble..."

Link smiled. He rubbed the back of his hand absentmindedly.

"That is why loneliness always pervades the hour of twilight..."

Link looked down at the ground as the sun slipped lower into the sky. Maybe he could feel it...just barely. Maybe there was more to the world than what was plainly seen. But it only crossed Link's mind for a second.

"But enough talk of sadness...I have a favor to ask of you, Link."

Link turned to look at Rusl in the eye.

"I was supposed to deliver something to the royal family of Hyrule the day after tomorrow..."

Link sat up straight. "The _Hyrule _family?" That couldn't be right. "The _Royal family_?"

"Yes, it was a task set to me by the mayor, but...would you go in my stead?"

Link's eyes widened, and a grin cracked his face. This time, he couldn't resist: "No thanks, I mean, it's only the Royal family of all of Hyrule. No big deal, right? I'd much rather sit around at home wondering what Hyrule's like."

Rusl just rolled his eyes. After seventeen years he was used to Link. "You have never been to Hyrule, right?"

"I've always wanted to go," Link said, trying to stop grinning, but to no avail. As much as Link loved Ordon Village, he already couldn't wait to see Hyrule.

"In the kingdom of Hyrule, there is a great castle, and around it is Castle Town, a community far bigger than our little village..."

Link began to zone out. "Are you _sure _you want me to go?" he interrupted

.  
"Far bigger than Hyrule is the rest of the world the goddesses created. You should look upon it all with your own eyes." Rusl stood up and stretched. "It is getting late. We should head back to the village. I will talk to the mayor about this matter."

Link smiled again and stood up. He followed Rusl over to Epona and lifted a stack of logs onto her back. He buried his face in her mane, taking in a deep breath, then said gently, "C'mon, girl," pulling his horse's reins after him.

They crossed the long, swaying bridge and Rusl locked the gate behind them. They soon reached the village, and Rusl bade Link goodbye as he came upon his wife, Uli, and son, Colin. Colin looked back at Link with a smile before walking away.

Sunlight poured through his windows, and Link eased open his eyes.

"Hey!"

Link groaned hopped out of bed and to his window. Fado stood in his yard. "Link! You there?"

"When have I been anywhere else?"

"Good point. Nothin' wakes ya up past noon. You sleep like a baby."

Link stuck his tongue out at him.

"Hey, you mind helpin' me herd the goats? They ain't listenin' to me lately!"

"No problem! Just let me get ready."

Link ran to his closet and pulled a white tunic and beige pants on, mumbling, "I don't sleep THAT much..." He heard Fado call from outside, "Hey, where's Epona?"

"Isn't she out there?" Link called through the window, but he could see no trace of his horse either.  
Link stepped outside. "I'll have to go find her. I'll bet Ilia took her to the spring again." For some reason, when Link thought of seeing Ilia, his stomach did a little flip.

"Just hurry up an' bring Epona with you."

Link turned and headed down the trail. The gates to the spring were wide open, as he had suspected, and there Ilia stood with Epona. Her short, brown hair caught a ray of sunlight, and Link's expression softened. He smiled.

"You know Epona's MY horse, right?"

"Oh, hi Link," Ilia said with a flirtatious smile. Her bright green eyes were so pretty. "I just thought she could use a bath before you leave tomorrow."

Link's smile faded. "I would have washed her," he said, walking over to her.

"Yeah, right. You don't bathe _yourself_."

"Hey!" He poked her in the stomach, but she grabbed his finger. He tried to twist it free but she held firmly, so instead he poked her with his other hand. She giggled and blocked her stomach with her arms. They began to relax, and Ilia said, "Listen, Link...Could you do something for me?"

"That depends..." Link said with a grin, patting Epona on the back. Ilia giggled.

"Could you use a piece of grass to play that song for me? You know, the one that Epona likes?" Ilia gripped her hands together and looked at him pleadingly.

"Yeah, of course." He walked over to a patch of grass and plucked one from the ground. He placed it to his lips and blew. A low, whistling tune soared through their ears and Epona came dashing over to him.

"It's such a nice melody..." She giggled. "Epona looks happy. Well, she's all prettied up now, so I suppose you can ride her back." Ilia looked longingly at Epona. She really did love that horse. She turned and looked at Link. "But don't make her do too much, okay?"

"Of course not!" Link hopped up on Epona. "Thanks for washing her," he said, waving goodbye. Ilia smiled and waved back to him.

"Thanks for helpin' today, Link. Couldn't have done it without you! How 'bout you take the rest of the day off?"

"Thanks," Link said. "See you tomorrow."

Epona ran over and jumped the fence, and Link felt wind rush past his face. A bottle of cool milk sounded very good, now, so Link headed to Sera and Hanch's shop. "Hey, Hanch," Link said. He was staring at the roof of his house. "What's up?"

"Well, hey, 'morning, Link. Get off early from work today, m'boy?"

"Yup."

"Not me. The wife's been hassling me... Today's the day to restock our store." He grunted and looked back up at the roof of his house.

"What's wrong?" Link asked. "Is there something there?"

"Look! See that? Up in that tree..."

Link craned his neck. "The beehive?"

"Yeah, some Ordon bees built themselves a fine nest up there, and I was thinking about knocking it down...Our cat hasn't come home since yesterday, so the wife's in a bad mood. At the very least, I need to bring something home to her."

"I'll keep an eye out for your cat," Link said, heading into the shop.

"Ohhhh...Awwww...Oh, my...Link..."

"Is this a bad time, or...?" Link walked up to Sera, who tried to smile, but couldn't quite manage it.  
"Welcome, m'dear...You didn't happen to see my little cat out there, did you?" Sera whimpered. "He ate the fish we were going to have for supper last night, and I gave him a good scolding...but then he went out and hasn't returned. I'm so fraught with worry for him...I've exhausted myself."

Link winced, but he couldn't help but feel sorry for Sera. "I'll find him. He's probably up a tree or something."

The corners of Sera's lips turned up slightly in a sad smile, and Link headed out.

"Here, kitty kitty!" Link called, looking around the town. Link walked over to the edge of the lake to get a better look, and saw a furry, brown feline on the other side. "Dumb cat," he whispered to himself, "trying to catch a fish."

He stepped in the water carefully, not wanting to slip. He carefully edged his way across the lake and to the other side. Hoisting himself up on the grass, Link called, "Come here!"

He reached down for the thing, but it slipped away. Every time he got near it, it managed to scamper away. "Fine, I'll just chase you back to your house," Link muttered, but ten minutes and a few scratches later proved that didn't work, either.

Link heard a soft, "Dammit!" come from a little ways behind him, and he turned to see Uli, the pregnant wife of Rusl, leaning over the edge of the river in distress.

"There are children around, you know."

Uli's mouth twitched. "You're hardly a child, Link. You become eighteen in a month," she pointed out. She looked back at the river. "You haven't seen a cradle come floating by here, have you?"

"A cradle?" Link asked, glancing back at the cat.

"Are you trying to get that animal back to Sera?" Uli asked. "Oh! I might have something that could help you...Colin made you a fishing rod, but, I don't remember where I put it..."

"Maybe if you got the cradle back you'd remember."

"Maybe," Uli agreed.

"What does it look like?"

"It is a baby's cradle made of finely woven tree bark...Oh, such a misfortune...How far could it have drifted, I wonder?"

"Don't worry, I'll find it for you," Link said, patting Uli on the back.

"Thank you so much, Link."

He wandered along the edge of the river, searching for any trace of the cradle.

"Yo, Link! Up here!" Link heard the familiar sound of his friend, Jaggle. Jaggle was Malo and Talo's dad, but he was still pretty young. Talo, the oldest was - Jaggle hated this phrasing, but - an "accident." So Jaggle was only twenty five, the person closest to Link's age in the whole village, other than Ilia.

Link turned and saw him standing on a pillar sticking up in the water. "So listen, why don't you climb up those vines there, Link?"

He had little grip, but Link managed to get a hold on a few clumps of vines and hoist himself up. "There you are! You got a minute?"

"Well, I'm trying to catch a cat for Sera, but in order to do that I need Uli's fishing rod, who won't remember where it is until I find her cradle. And I need to do it all in the next hour or so because I need to start getting ready for tomorrow." Link grinned. "So, nope, not busy."

"That's a relief," Jaggle said with a smile, "because I want you to take a look at something." Jaggle pointed to a few feet in front of them. "See that grass growing there on the edge of that rock? Haven't I seen you whistling with that stuff?"

"I doubt Epona's grass would grow _there_," Link said. He looked closer at it. It DID look like Epona's grass, though. "Well, maybe..."

"I figured it was pretty weird to see it growing in a place like that, so I thought I'd let you know. I bet you could hop across these rocks to get to it, eh?"

"Yeah, like I'm going to - " Link stopped mid-sentence when he heard a high-pitched sound, almost like a...

A monkey?

It was standing on another pillar, several feet away from the one with grass on it. What was that it was holding?

The cradle!

Without thinking, he ran forward and jumped at the edge, landing cleanly on a nearby rock. He backed up again, and jumped across to the next pillar, where the grass was. He backed up a third time to jump, ignoring Jaggle's shout: "Link, what are you doing?"

Maybe one of these days he'd learn to think before he acted.

But not today.

His fingers barely brushed the edge of the pillar, and hope sparked in him...

The next thing he knew, his back was colliding with hard ground. He heard Jaggle shout, "For the love of Nayru, what didja do that for?" as he coughed some of the water out of his throat and got up, careful not to slip. "Damned monkey," he muttered, trudging out of the shallow water and climbing back up the pillar.

"You're not actually going to try that again, are you?" Jaggle asked, helping Link up. "It's just a dumb cat."

"Well, I've got nothing better to do." Link grinned. "Plus, I really want some milk."

"I guess."

Link jumped across the first two pillars again but stopped at the third. He could never make that jump...

He kicked the ground in frustration and sighed. He glared angrily down at the patch of Epona's grass, as if it was the grass's fault. But after staring at it for a while, Link could tell it _wasn't _Epona's grass. Link smiled inwardly at being right, then bent down and plucked it. He examined it for a moment, then placed it to his lips and blew.

A high, sweet melody wafted through the air. Link nonchalantly tossed it over his shoulder, as it seemed to do nothing, but a second later he heard something, like the sound of wings flapping. But it grew louder...and louder...and louder...until it was right behind him.

Link spun around and saw an eagle flying in place, sizing him up. Weren't eagles supposed to be dangerous? Bloodthirsty carnivores? Farore...he was doomed.

Link helplessly glanced from Jaggle to the eagle to the monkey and backed up as much as he could, which wasn't actually too much. Great. Him and his great ideas...

Suddenly, the eagle took off. Link ducked and cried out, covering his head, but the bird wasn't after him. It soared toward the monkey and plucked the basket out of its arms. It then carried the basket back to Jaggle and flew off.

Link turned to Jaggle and they just stared at each other, unable to do anything but blink.

* * * *  
"Oh, Link!"

"Lose something?" Link grinned, placing the feline on Sera's counter. Thank the goddesses _that _was done.

"Thank you, honey! Thank you, thank you! I was so worried!"

Link sighed. After he had given the cradle to Uli, she had remembered where the fishing rod was, as he suspected. The cat followed him around after he fed it a fish, so it was pretty easy to get a hold of him and carry him back to Sera's shop, despite some minor scratches on his arms and face. Ugh...cats.

"You know, I'm so grateful, I think I'll give you a little treat. Nothing much, but..." She turned around and dug through a container, until she found what she wanted and pulled it out.

"Really, it's okay..."

"Here," she said, handing Link a slingshot. "It's not very well crafted...but you can have this one for free. Oh, and share it with the children, would you?"

"Sure." Link fully intended to simply give it to them. "Say, could I get some milk?" he asked, tossing a yellow rupee on her desk.

"Oh, please. This one's on the house."

"Don't have to ask me twice," Link said with a grin as Sera placed the bottle and rupee in his hand.

"Have a good one, Link."

"You too."

Link ran into Rusl on his way back to his house. "Ah, just in time, Link! I just delivered something to your room."

A crooked smile cracked on his face. "Lemme guess...Ilia gave you some Ordon beeswax to give to me so I'd finally glue my big mouth shut."

Rusl chuckled. "Oh, I see you got the fishing rod. Colin will be pleased. And it works better than you would think, right?"

"Yeah, I didn't think Colin crafted so well." They were quiet for a moment as they watched the kids - Beth, Malo, Talo, and Colin - run around Link's yard

"Well, have a good one," Rusl finally said, walking away. Link nodded to him and headed over to his house.

"Hey, kids," Link called the the children running around, "you should probably head home soon."  
"Awwww! Okay..." nine-year-old Beth whined.

"Wait, what's that?" Talo, about Beth's age, cried, pointing to Link's pouch. "Hey! Link has a slingshot! WOAH!"

Beth gasped. "Wow! You had enough money to buy it, Link?"

"Well..." Link rubbed the back of his head with a crooked smile on his face.

"Can I see it, Link?"

"Yeah, please?"

"It's yours," he said, handing it to Talo.

The kids all gaped at it in wonder...except Beth.

"By the way, Link," she said, "were you expecting Colin's dad to bring something by here? 'Cause he did."

"Oh yeah!" cried Talo. "That's right...What was that, anyway?"

"I command you to tell us," Talo's little brother, Malo, muttered. Link chuckled, but then realized that Malo looked quite serious.

"O-Oh, well, I don't know what it is," Link said. "I was going to go up and see. And you guys should probably head home. You'll have to eat supper soon."

"Can we PLEASE stay? At least until you see what Colin's dad left?"

Link sighed. "Okay. Fine. I'll be right back."

Inside Link's house, a simple, wooden sword lay on Link's couch. "Yes!" he cried, shooting his fist up in the air. He'd wanted a sword for years now. Rusl finally thought he was ready!

He walked out of his house holding the blade with pride.

"Ooh, my!" Beth cried. "Isn't that a wooden sword, Link?"

Talo jumped up and down. "Woa, she's right! Can I hang onto it for a sec?"

"Please?"

"Seriously! Lately these monkeys have been coming out of the woods and playing tricks on us! We want to get them GOOD!" Talo was hopping from foot to foot, full of energy. "C'mon, teach us how to use a sword!"

Link ginned. "Nah, you can beg and suffer."

The kids smiled at each other, fully able to tell when Link was being sarcastic.

"I'm not _that _cold-hearted. Let's get started!"

"YES!"

Link explained the basics. He showed Talo how to simply slice with a blade, and also how to maneuver around an opponent.

"Thanks, Link! So, uh, I...I think I get it," Talo said. "...Kinda...Hmm...Maybe not."

Link shrugged his shoulders. "Takes practice."

"So this means that anytime one of those naughty monkeys shows up..."

At that precise moment, a small, brown monkey with a pink flower in her hair came scampering through Link's yard. "WAH!" Talo cried, racing over to it. "C'MERE, YOU!" The monkey scampered away, and in mere seconds, so had all three kids.


	2. Chapter 2

"Hey!" Link cried, running down the path after the kids. "Guys, it's dangerous out there! KIDS!"

Link could tell they weren't coming back, so he ran back to his yard and leaped onto Epona. Sensing his urgency, Epona broke out into a dash.

They sped along the path. "Where could they be?" Link muttered to himself. He was already so far along the trail. How far had the kids went? What if they got hurt? Or lost? Or worse...

Link was about to turn around and get help when he spotted someone.

Beth!

"Thank Din you're okay!" Link cried. "Where are the others?"

"Talo and Malo went chasing like crazy people after that monkey," she explained. "I can't keep up with those two..."

"Stay exactly where you are," Link cautioned. "I'll come back for you."

Beth nodded, and Epona galloped away. How far could those two go?

Link was almost to the bridge, across from which rumored beasts lay in wait, when he spotted little Malo standing in worry. "...They went that way," he muttered, pointing past the bridge. "The rest is up to you, Link."

Faron woods. Link had been there before, but he'd never wandered far from the main pathway. Talo could be anywhere in these vast woods.

Link was feeling really hopeless when a peculiar man sitting by a pot called him over.

"Whoa! An Ordonian! Hey, guy!" he called.

Link approached him cautiously. "Um...Hi."

"Listen, I'm not sure you should be wandering the woods without a lantern." The man cocked his head at Link and Link shook his head.

"Because MOST people can't see in the middle of the day..."

"Hey, just because it's daylight doesn't mean it's safe. There are tons of caves and dank spots around here that get pretty dark, even in the middle of the day. In fact, I saw a kid running in that there cave just a minute ago. No lantern. Guarantee ya' he was chewed up by those bats."

Link felt his throat go dry.

"Here, take this."

He held out a lantern, and Link shrugged. "Eh, why not?"

"See, I sell lantern oil here. I'm trying to drum up sales by giving away free lanterns! It's a business tactic, guy!"

"Oh, okay. Well, thanks."

Link dashed over to his horse and hoisted himself up, but Epona just didn't seem to want to go forward. "You don't like caves, girl?"

Epona whinnied, and Link reluctantly climbed down. It was just him, now.

The cave was damp and cold, and dark as the peculiar man had said, but Link had never been afraid of dark places. He ran with his hand along the wall as to not get lost, the lantern giving off a dim light for a few feet. He felt as if he should have seen the end of the cave when he heard something.

Squeak! Squeak!

Link spun around and came face-to-face with a keese, the ones that they talked about back in Ordon. It had a human-like face with bared fangs and bent-looking, slender wings. No way he could outrun it. There were probably more ahead.

It jeered forward and nicked his cheek. He could lose blood fast this way. Link desperately looked around for something, anything, to throw at it or hit it with, when he remembered the sword on his back.

Instinctively, as if he had done it a million times before, Link reached behind him and sliced the sword across the air. The keese fell to the ground in a heap of blood and skin.

As he ventured forward, more anticipated keese swooped down around him. Link slashed his sword this way and that, killing bat after bat. The cave stank of blood, and Link hurried forward. Escaping with merely a few keese bites, Link finally saw a light and exited the cave.

Warm sunlight soothed the goosebumps that had formed on his skin. Link had barely noticed them before. A long, thin trail led to an ancient temple. Link had heard about this temple...his friends merely referred to it as the Forest Temple, which, in retrospect, wasn't a _horrible _name. But really...A temple in the middle of a forest. Forest Temple.

Genius.

A monkey screech and a few child's cries and Link gave it no more thought, breaking into a run.

"TALO!"

"LINK? HELP!"

Talo and the monkey were trapped in a wooden cage, but instead of trying to break their way out, they cowered. _Thank Din he's alive_, Link thought. _At least, for now_. Two blue, human-like beasts who had been guarding the cage then came charging at him, raising their clubs and crying out strangled, gurgling noises. He knew what these were - Bokoblins. Link's first instinct was to duck his head and lean down, but he realized too late that was not a smart idea.

A sharp blow to his head caused his the edges of his vision to go black. Link reached for his sword and felt one of the beasts whack his arm. He drew his sword quickly and managed to land a fatal wound on one of them, but the second one jabbed him in the stomach and Link felt the air leave him. He toppled to the ground and covered his head as the beast whacked his arm, then his back, then the back of his head.

Sweet merciful Din...how in the world had he ever thought he could save Talo?

After being hit a few more times, Link began to anticipate the beast's next move. Knowing each second he wasted meant another injury, Link reached his arm out and grabbed the beast's club as it was about to collide with his face. Shoving it forcefully back to the beast, Link stood up, his head throbbing and seeing spots in his vision. This time, as the beast charged toward him, Link reached for his sword and stabbed it forward, right through its stomach. It collapsed, and Link sheathed his sword.

"HIYA!" Talo rammed his shoulder into the cage he was in, which he had evidently been doing for a while now. The bars of the cage crumbled, and Talo climbed out, running to Link.

Link kneeled down and hugged Talo. "What's the matter with you?" he scolded. "For the love of Nayru...You could have been killed!"

But feeling Talo quiver in his arms, Link decided this was not the time. He softened his grip and sighed. "Let's get you home."

** * * *  
Link helped Talo down from Epona and ruffled his hair. "Do NOT chase monkeys," Link advised. "And stay AWAY from the forest."

Talo nodded forcefully. "If you hadn't come, Link...Gee, me and that monkey would've gotten eaten, probably! She's actually a pretty nice gal, that monkey. She tried to protect me, so we got captured together."

Link couln't help but smile a little. "Promise me you'll stay away from those woods from now on," Link said, kneeling down to Talo.

"I know. I promise. I'm so sorry, Link, I was being stupid." Talo looked at the ground. "Um, Link...You're not gonna mention this to my dad, are you?"

Link winced. "Well..."

"C'mon, PLEASE?"

Link sighed. "Fine. But don't think I'll hesitate to tell him if this ever happens again."

"Thanks Link," Talo said, giving Link a hug. Then he scampered away, joining Beth and Malo in a game of tag.

Link headed to his house, ready to tend his wounds when he heard someone. "Link!"

"Oh! Hi, Rusl."

"My son told me Talo disappeared into the woods and had not returned. I came as soon as I heard...But it looks like you have brought him home already. I apologize. Such a task should not fall to you."

Link shrugged. "It's fine. I'll be pretty sore in the morning, but it's worth it. At least Talo's safe."

"Thank you. I'm sure Jaggle and Pergie will be quite relieved and grateful."

Link nodded.

"Tell me, have you noticed how strange this wood seems lately? I feel...uneasy about what may lie in wait."

"I know...Something has definitely changed since I used to play here as a boy," Link explained. "Beasts, monsters...But I feel like that's not all."

The sun sank lower into the sky and the forest seemed to shift and pulse - it seemed alive.

"Anyway, Link. Tomorrow is finally the day. You will be departing for Hyrule. I think it is a good thing I have given this task to you."

"Thank you! I look forward to it."

"If you are lucky, you may even get to meet princess Zelda!"

They laughed. What a slim, slim chance it was that Link might even get to _see _Zelda. She was hidden away in her castle and never talked to anyone outside her home.

Words suddenly flashed in his mind: "_You are destined for great things..._"

"Grandma," he whispered.

"Excuse me?" Rusl asked.

"Nothing."

Link headed into his house, and collapsed on his bed. He fell asleep almost immediately, before he had time to dress his wounds.

"_...great things..._"

"_Ilia, wait up!"_

_She just giggled. _

_The forest around them was huge and endless. It was familiar, but...something seemed different._

"_Ilia, please!"_

_She stopped, suddenly, and Link followed her gaze. A huge castle was in front of them - Hyrule Castle. He looked back at Ilia, but she was gone. _

"_Ilia? Farore, where are you?"_

_He heard someone walk up to him, and spun around. A graceful woman with deep, sapphire eyes - much like his own - stopped in front of him. Atop her head was a shimmering crown. Blond hair tumbled flawlessly down her back, and she was cloaked in an intricate dress. Something about her looked familiar, but not the way the forest was familiar. It was something else. But through all that, it was her ears that really got to him._

_Everyone back at Ordon was human. Simple enough. Link wasn't exactly - he was a hylian, which was very close to a human, but not quite. And if there was one thing he'd noticed over twelve years, it was that his grandmother was a human._

_The easiest way to tell a hylian from human is their ears. There are other distinctions, of course, but the most plain was how hylians had long, pointed ears...humans didn't, as you probably already know._

_And, as you've probably guessed...this woman had the pointed ears of a hylian._

_Her voice was also somewhat familiar, as she spoke three simple words: "It is coming." Before Link could ask what, a searing pain hit him. It tore at him from all sides and ripped him apart, and he tumbled to the ground. He saw something like fur before his attention was directed to a man, who also looked strangely familiar. He smiled wolfishly down at him as he raised the sword in his hand, then sliced it through Link's stomach._

Sweat dripped down his face and Link grabbed for the blade in his gut, only to find it wasn't there.

Just a dream.

Sweet merciful Din, what a dream!

Link collapsed back in bed, trying to stop himself from shaking.

It was warm outside. The sunlight shot warmth throughout Link's body. The weather was perfect for a trip to Hyrule. Link closed his eyes and imagined him on Epona, wind rushing through his dirty blond hair, and a magnificent sight of vast land and a castle before his eyes.

_He smiled wolfishly down at him as he raised the sword in his hand, then sliced it through Link's __stomach..._

"Hey! Link!"

Link pulled himself up. He was sore from the day before, but smiled and waved to Fado. "So, almost time for you to get goin', huh, Link?"

Link nodded. "Yeah. The goddesses must hate me...time is moving so slowly..."

"The times I've fel' like that...Anyhow, we'd better finish up early today then."

Link pulled himself up onto Epona and winced. Not the best condition for him to set off in, but it could be worse.

Epona sensed Link's sensitivity, and she rode very softly. Swerving back and forth, goat after goat charged away. A few whoops later, they were all in the barn, and Fado walked up to him. "Good luck on your trip," Fado said. "Head over to the mayor's house and get things sorted out. Best of luck to ya, and stay safe."

Link grinned. "When have I not been?" he called as Epona trotted back to Ordon.

Upon entering the village, Link saw Ilia waiting for him. She called to her father and then ran up to him, her face bright. "Link! I'm glad I caught you! I wanted to see you before you left!"

"I wouldn't leave without saying bye to you first," Link said, hopping off Epona.

"I heard about what happened last night. How's your arm?"

"It's okay. It's my head that's really bothering me," Link explained, rubbing the back of his head. "And I'm all sore."

"Are you sure you want to go? I want you to be okay," Ilia said, putting her hand on his shoulder. "I don't want you to get hurt."

"I'm fine, don't worry," Link said, brushing her hand off and squeezing it. It was warm and soft, and even after they separated he could still feel its pressure. She smiled, locking eyes with him.

"Well, Link," Ilia's father, Mayor Bo, called, walking up to him. Reluctantly, he turned away from Ilia and looked at him. "The royal gift Rusl told you about is ready, so you should get ready for your trip to Hyrule Castle. Now, the royal family requested this gift specifically, so it's real special."

Link nodded. "I'll get it there in time, don't worry."

He heard Ilia talking to Epona softly. "The path before you is a long one, my sweet horse...but please bear Link safely along it."

Link smiled. He liked the sound of her voice.

"Wait...What's this?"

Link's smile faded. _That _sound...he didn't like so much.

"What's happened? She's injured isn't she?" Ilia turned and glared at Link, and he winced. "Link! How could you! You were pushing Epona too hard again! I bet you hurt her leg jumping fences, didn't you!"

Link was caught off guard, but he'd never seen anything on Epona. "I did not! I didn't even jump fences today! In case you didn't know, I rescued Talo from two deranged monsters all the way at the Forest Temple yesterday! A little scratch wouldn't surprise me!"

"You talk about her like she's the wheel on a carriage or something! 'A little scratch wouldn't surprise me,'" she mocked in a fake tone.

"She's not even hurt!" Link gestured to her leg. There was nothing there.

"What do you MEAN she's not hurt? _I_ should know. _I'm_ the one that actually takes care of her. YOU just ride her around all day like she doesn't matter!"

A million things came into Link's head to say, but nothing would come out. _I take care of my horse! I don't treat her like she doesn't matter!_

"Now, now, Ilia, there's no need to get so hot with him," Bo mumbled.

"FATHER!" Ilia cried, tears swimming in her eyes. "How can you be so easy on him? You're the

MAYOR! You should start _acting _like one!"

Link and Bo looked down at the ground, shameful. "You poor thing," Ilia cooed, patting Epona. Link and Bo exchanged a quick glance, then slouched again. "It'll be alright, Epona. I'll take you to the forest spring right now. Once we soothe you in the spirit's spring, you'll feel better in no time!"

Link rubbed the back of his neck and looked helplessly at the mayor. "W-wait! Ilia!" Link called.

"Why, without Epona, the gift won't get delivered in time!" Bo cried in despair. "Oh, this won't do."

"I'll see if I can talk sense into her."

Link cautiously headed toward the spring, but was stopped by Colin on the way there. "Hey, Link, are you going to see Ilia?" he asked. He glanced behind him at Talo, Malo, and Beth standing in the pathway. "Maybe it's just me, but those guys don't normally let people through..."

Link winced. "Yeah. She's mad at me, but I really need Epona."

"You think we can go see Ilia together?"

Link thought of Ilia's glaring eyes and strangely became sad. What was with her mood swings all of a sudden? Did he really want Colin to see them fight?

"Okay. Let's go."

They approached the three children. "Hey, we've been waiting for you, y'know, Link."

"Yesterday was soooo much fun! Yeah, chasing that monkey around was great!"

"I was just telling Malo about how we wanted to show it to him, but we let it go instead!"

Malon frowned. "Oh, YOU didn't get caught, Talo?" he mumbled.

"Oh! Colin! Way to spoil everything by telling your dad. Nice job."

"Yeah, thanks a lot! We got scolded by our dad something awful. I thought it was never gonna end..."

Link crossed his arms. "Talo, Colin did the right thing. To be honest, I probably did the wrong thing by promising I wouldn't tell your dad. Now, let us through. We need to get my horse back!"

"There's no way I'm gonna let you pass!"

Link frowned darkly. "Talo. Let me and Colin through. NOW."

"Well...Fine. Can I at least borrow that wooden sword?"

Link glanced at it and sighed. "Sure." He handed it to Talo and he jumped in the air.

"YES! If I'd had this wooden sword yesterday, I could've handled it all alone, definitely! With this thing...I'll show 'em!"

"Don't get yourself into any more trouble. It's MY head if you get hurt."

They scampered away from the path and slashed it around his yard.

"Link."

He turned to look at Colin. His blue eyes looked sadly up at him.

"Thanks...Those guys are always teasing me..."

"I know, I'm sorry...If the teasing gets worse, then let me know."

He nodded, then looked at the others playing. "What's so fun about swinging something like that around, anyway? I hate it... It's scary..."

Link shrugged. "It's...it takes getting used to, I guess."

Colin looked up at him. "But when I grow up, I'm gonna be just like you, Link! I don't want to learn about swords or anything, but could you teach me how to ride a horse sometime?"

Link smiled. "I'd be happy to."

"Can you? You have to promise!"

"I promise."

When Link peered through the closed gate, Ilia saw him and turned to him, glaring. "If you came to take Epona back, you can FORGET it!"

"C'mon, Ilia, I need Epona."

"No! Why don't you think about what you've done for a change! I won't open the gate until you change your attitude!"

"Oh, you think _I_ should change _my_ attitude?"

Colin dragged him away.

Link shook his head and sighed. Now what?

Oh, wait!

Link remembered as a kid playing around near the spring, and he found a little tunnel in the rock that blocked off the spring. He ran toward it and crawled through, Colin following him.

Ilia spun around. "HEY!" she cried, running over to him and shoving him the ground. "Go back and get away! Epona is hurt!"

"Epona is _also _MY HORSE!"

"You INSENSITIVE little -"

Link gestured wildly to Epona's leg. "There is NOTHING THERE!" He turned and put his face right up to hers. He forced his voice to come under control, but it still shook. "Now what is this _really _about?"

"I just...I don't know, she's just...I don't want you to go, okay?" Ilia tore herself away. "I wish Rusl had NEVER offered for you to go deliver the STUPID package and -"

"And why not?" Link said. He laughed and smiled sourly. "I mean, it's not like I really WANTED to go or anything. It's not like I've dreamed of going to Hyrule my entire life. I'll just stay because you -"

"Could you PLEASE be serious for once!" Ilia cried. "I don't want you to go because I don't want you to get hurt!"

"I'll be careful with Epona, Ilia! For the last time, she's MY HORSE! You're not the ONLY ONE who knows how to treat her!"

"You're probably the dumbest person alive, Link, did you know that?" Ilia crossed her arms. "I'm not worried about Epona, you meathead...I'm worried about YOU."

Link didn't know what to say. Part of him felt bad about yelling at Ilia. Part of him was smiling because she cared about him so much...But most of him just wanted to keep yelling at her. That part of him was also scared...scared to death of this. Of Ilia, of himself...his own feelings had him petrified.

"Link, please. Promise me, no matter what happens on your journey...Promise me you won't do anything out of your league. Please...just come home safely."

Link took in a deep breath. "You don't have to worry, Ilia. I promise." He paused. "...I'm really...I really appreciate..."

CRASH!

"AAH!"

Link jumped in front of Ilia and Colin, reaching behind him only to find he had no sword. That's right...he's given it to Talo.

In front of them stood a giant boar, atop which sat two ugly man-beasts, but not the ones he'd fought yesterday. He knew these, too. Bulbins. Even more dangerous than Bokoblins. Link's breath caught in his throat and he desperately tried to think of what to do.

The beast crashed into him and black spotted his vision. One of the creatures drew an arrow and Link felt it whiz by his ear and instead hit Ilia. Her eyes rolled to the back of her head and she collapsed.

"ILIA!" Link screamed, breaking into a run. He was nearly at her side when he heard another arrow sickeningly thump as it hit Colin. Before he could do anything, Link felt a sharp pain in his head as one of the creature's clubs collided with him. Black swam into his vision and consciousness left him before he even felt his knees give.


	3. Chapter 3

Link awoke to a cool, trickling sensation. He sat up and realized it was water. Why was he in the spring?

Suddenly, everything came back, washing over him like a suffocating ocean.

Link leapt up and sped down the trail to Faron Woods. Where else could the monsters have come from?

As Link hurried along, he noticed it turning darker all around him, almost as though the sun were setting. He crossed the bridge, turned the corner, and...

A large, dark wall was blocking his path. He started to walk toward it, but a force caused him to recoil, like two magnets of the same pole. Ilia had to be beyond there, but how could he get past? The wall stretched as far as he could see.

Link didn't wonder for a moment where the wall had come from or why it was there. All he wanted to know was how to get past it.

He ran forward at it managing to touch it. He cried out and ran again, trying to pound his fists on it. "LET ME IN, YOU COWARDS!" he screamed. Damn, he didn't even have his sword...What did he expect to do? Yell at the monsters? "LET ME IN!"

Black. Pain. His stomach left him and he was in the air, unable to breath. Link reached to his neck, where something ice-cold held its grip on him. The world around him seemed to turn dark and his skin felt numb, heavy, and bursting with pain. It was like a cold fire burning away at his flesh, slowly freezing him. Link tried to gasp, but his lungs remained empty.

Suddenly Link was on the ground. He felt a burning heat on his hand and tried to open his eyes and look at it, but he couldn't manage it through the pain. Link did sense a light, a light that seemed out of place in this strange shadowed world.

Unspeakable pain grabbed at him, clawing at him and flaring up inside him. Link opened up his mouth to take in a breath and instead found himself screaming. Something pounded inside his bones and ripped at his limbs, and Link's scream became a strangled howl.

Was there a blanket over him? The pain receded and Link's chilled bones were warmed by an invisible force. He let his shaking legs collapse beneath him and Link felt sleepy, with heavy eyelids and aching bones, and his head spinning. Maybe just a few moments' rest before he found Ilia and Colin...

The ground beneath Link was cool and damp, and his slow breaths echoed against the walls around him. Link eased his eyes open and stretched, except...something seemed different, as if his arms wouldn't do exactly what he wanted them to. He tried sitting up, yet his legs seemed too short. They would not straighten.

Link looked down at his legs and realized something wasn't right. They were the legs of a wolf.

"Farore..."

Except, he didn't actually speak. A strange sound came out of his throat, like a whimper. Oh, Farore...  
Link looked at the window in the room he was in. Rain pounded outside and the rumbling thunder made him shiver in fear. He forced his eyes to focus, and he recoiled at his reflection.

Farore, he was going crazy.

He was a wolf. A beast. A horrible furry monster. A despised, feared animal. Link tried screaming, but all that would come out was a high-pitched howl. He ran around in circles, tugging at the chain binding his foot when lightning lit up the room and something caught his eye.

A black and white figure - about the size of a toddler, but with a large head - stood - no, floated - outside the bars holding him in the room. Bright green tattoos snaked the creature, and something metal, like a helmet, covered its head. Link squinted to get a better look when it giggled and disappeared.

"I found you!"

Link tensed, trying to shout, "Who are you? Get away!" All he managed was a gurgling snarl. Without thinking, he triggered something in his throat and began growling.

"Ooh, aren't you scary!" Her voice was high, sweet, and seemed to have its own echo and depth. It was smooth yet broken at the same time. Link's growl faltered, but his glare didn't. "Eee hee! Are you sure you want to be doing that? Snarling and glaring like that?"

Link's growl deepened.

"Well, that's too bad. I was planning on helping you...if you were nice."

His growl faltered again, and this time his stare did as well. He stopped, saying - rather, _trying _to say - "Fine." A yip came out of his mouth instead, but the creature understood. He had no other choice. He couldn't stay here forever like this.

Another giggle. "That's much better. You humans are obedient to a fault, aren't you?" she said. "Oops, but you AREN'T a human anymore, are you? You're a beast!" She tapped her fingers under his chin.  
The giggle was getting aggravating.

Link let a snarl escape, and he barked at her, baring his teeth. "There, there. You be a good boy and calm down. No need to bite!" she said with a smirk, floating away. Her eyes were large and round and playful. What was she?

She inched her hands together but they did not touch; some kind of spherical energy formed between them, then began floating as she took her hands away. Her eyes opened slightly and she wore a crooked grin. The spinning force suddenly lunged at him, and Link stumbled backward, trying to avoid it. He could feel its heat, closed his eyes...but pain did not come.

The creature laughed. "You look kind of surprised!" Another giggle. Link looked down and saw that the chain connecting him to the ground was broken. It dangled at his foot. "So! I bet you're wondering, where exactly are we?"

There's not a whole lot else he could be wondering at that point.

The short, stubby creature seemed to dematerialize in front of him and re-appear on the other side of the bars. The ominous way she floated flushed him with curiosity. "Well, I'll make you a deal. If you can get over here, maybe I'll tell you!" She giggled yet again and then yawned and stretched.

How was he to get over there?

"I can't get over there! Why can't you help me?"

Bark! Bark!

That's right. He was a beast. An ugly, good-for-nothing beast. He walked around and it was as though he was walking for the first time. New legs and arms. Make that four new legs. He wandered around, pawing at the ground by the bars and sniffing, trying to find a sign of anything.

He felt something soft underneath his hand-his paw-give, and that's when he remembered. He was a canine! He could dig.

He shoved his nose into the ground and tensed his paws, lifting dirt and kicking it behind him. After a few moments, he was able to slip under the metal and out the other end. He shook himself off.

Something hit his back, and Link jumped up, barking. He spun around and around, trying to see what was on him, when he felt a tug on his neck and for some reason calmed down. "Hmph! I guess you're not completely stupid after all!"

Another giggle.

"Listen, I like you, so I think I'll get you out of here."

Link got the feeling she was using him.

"Because MOST people trust weird little floating imps who come out of nowhere," Link shouted. Bark! Snarl! A deep growl came from his throat.

Something tugged at his ear and Link opened his mouth, ready to bite. "But in exchange for my help, you have to do EXACTLY as I say!"

Link closed his eyes. What choice did he have?

"Now, come on! Let's get moving!"

"Oh, well, well." Giggle. "Want to see something interesting?"

Link looked around and spotted something. A faint, glowing orb. He stared at it, baring his teeth, unsure of what to do.

"You're a beast! You should know what to do! Use your senses and poke around."

Link gazed around. A hidden passageway had led them into a sewer, and in a corner stood an orb barely moving up and down. He stared at it, then closed his eyes, and finally something clicked in his brain. When he opened his eyes again, his vision was dark, zeroing in on only the lightest objects around him, which included the orb.

Except that it was not an orb anymore. Where the orb once stood was now a strange, bright person. He looked almost like a soldier. Link could hear him muttering something, so he slowly inched closer, perking his ears. He could make out his high-pitched, quavering voice saying in between gasps, "Can't...run...any...farther...that's far...enough...right? I'll be safe here...I think..."

Safe from what?

He tried asking the creature what that was all about, but instead a bark came out and he stopped mid-sentence. He was a beast. He couldn't ask questions.

"What was that noise! Don't...don't anything come near me!" The man tensed and held a spear in front of him. Link quickly backed away, but the man didn't seem to be talking about him. He didn't even seem to notice him.

Link shook his head and closed his eyes, and suddenly things became light again. Well, light_er_. Wherever he was, it was strangely dark. The man became an orb again, and Link felt an eerie pressure, a nervousness. He didn't know why.

"That was a soldier's spirit," the creature on Link's back explained. "Maybe it's someone from the other world." Giggle.

"What other world?"

Bark. Whimper.

The girl giggled again. "There are lots of other spirits roaming around here, you know. Hone your senses to see them. They might know things..."

Link refrained himself from trying to say, "Like what?" because he knew all that would come out was an animal sound.

"I doubt you're used to your new body yet, so I'll just tell you...Think about how you fought in your human form. Just because your shape has changed doesn't mean your instincts have as well!"

Did that mean...monsters were ahead?

Link cautiously moved on when something suddenly lunged at him. A dark little rat-like creature flopped around with a red design on its back. He felt pain prickle at his side where it had attacked him and Link jumped at it. His claws popped out of his paws and sank into the vermin's flesh. It made a sound like deflation and collapsed, limp.

It felt good.

He could kill.

A few more vermin scurried around nearby, and Link lunged at them, sinking his teeth and claws into them, tasting their blood, feeling them die.

Link continued forward, kicking water out from behind him and feeling cool stone on the pads of his feet. Suddenly, something caught his eye.

Another floating orb lay in his path, and once again Link closed his eyes, feeling something shift. He opened his eyes and once again, everything was dark and disoriented. The brightest things shined in his vision, and a man stood there.

"What are those black things...Where are they coming from..." Link cocked his head. The spirits could see them too? "And how do we get out of here!"

Where were they?

Link switched his senses off and stumbled away. Where in the world could he be? He couldn't help himself. He began barking, trying to ask the thing on his back. What was all of this? Why was he a beast? Where were Ilia and Colin?

"Hey! We're almost there..."

Link looked around and saw a large staircase spiraling up to a strange room with a door. Link began climbing, finding it quite decapitated and falling apart. Huge chunks were missing from the path, and finally one seemed simply too large for him to get across.

Link heard a giggle behind him. "I guess I have to do EVERYTHING for you..." she said with a fake yawn. "I'll guide you to sure footing, so just...follow your instinct."

She flew up to the next ledge which seemed so far away. The ponytail in the back of her head stuck out of the metal helmet, and it began flicking back and forth. Link found it odd, but after a moment it became tempting. He crouched down, then leaped at her and found himself on the other side of the ledge. He ran the rest of the way up the staircase and to the door.

"So, you know where we are yet?" Giggle. "Well, if you can find a way out, maybe you'll figure it out!"

Link growled at her. She was being no help, making him do all the work. He looked around the area, finally spotting a window. Link ran over to it and jumped at it, feeling the fragile glass shatter around him. He stumbled out and into the rain.

Large towers scattered the area, and Link found himself on a structure like a roof. Rain matted down his fur and thunder rattled his bones.

"So, we were finally able to get out," the girl said. Link leaned his head back to look at her as she talked. "And look at the sky! Isn't the black cloud of twilight beautiful today? Do you know where this is? You STILL don't know?" Giggle. "Look, there's someone I want to introduce you to...but I'll need you to get to that tower, the tallest one, to do it!"

Large birds soared across the sky, cawing ominously. There was yet another spirit up ahead, and Link flipped to his senses without thinking. The man, another soldier, seemed to be in despair. He heard the girl giggle, saying, "Even though these guys can see those monsters, they don't know a thing about you!"

The soldier was muttering to himself. Link leaned in closer and heard him say, "...What in the world is happening here? Ah...Our poor Hyrule Castle..."

Link froze. He was in Hyrule? The very Hyrule that he had been preparing to go to earlier today? What had happened to it? It was like a shadow had cloaked it. The darkness, the spirits, the monsters...What was happening?

And if this strange cloud of darkness made all the people living in Hyrule turn to spirits...why wasn't _he _one?

"Eee Hee! That wasn't the person I wanted you to meet, by the way," the girl said. "Well, let's just try and get to that tower."

He trudged on toward the tower, jumping across ledges and roofs. Finally, the window to the tower loomed into view, and Link dashed through it.

Inside the room was a hooded figure. Link instinctively began growling, not trusting the person. The creature on his back giggled, and Link filled with curiosity. The cloaked figure turned around and Link instantly stopped growling, seeing it was a sick-looking, young woman. Not a beast out for blood.

"...Midna?" the woman cried out, walking toward them.

The creature on Link's back-Midna-put a smug yet sarcastic look on her face. "You remembered my name? What an honor for me."

Link looked back at the woman. Something about her looked familiar...He had seen her before. Those sapphire eyes...

Midna seemed to be mocking her, as if they knew something he didn't. Then again, was there anything HE knew that THEY didn't?

The woman cut the tense silence, saying, "So this is the one for whom you were searching."

"Well, he's not exactly what I had in mind, but I guess he'll do," Midna said with a giggle, patting Link on the head. "You can call him Link."

How the hell did she know his name?

"Who, me? I'm right HERE!"

Bark! Snarl!

The woman leaned down and looked into Link's eyes. What about her looked so familiar? Just...everything. Where had he seen her before?

The woman noticed it too. Her eyes narrowed and she looked utterly confused for a moment, but then her eyes shifted to his foot, on which the remnants of the shackle remained. She said sadly, "You were imprisoned...?" She closed her eyes and tilted her head down. "I am sorry."

"Poor thing," Midna giggled, "he has no idea why he's here or what's happened! Don't you think you should explain to him what you've managed to do? You owe him that much." Midna paused and smirked. "...Twilight Princess! Eee hee!"

The girl stood up and looked out the window. "Listen carefully," she said, lowering her voice. "This was once the land where the power of the gods and goddesses was said to slumber. This was once Hyrule."

Where he'd been planning to go before...

"But this blessed kingdom has been transformed by the king who rules the twilight..." the girl took in a breath, as if remembering something horrific. "It has been transformed into a world of shadows ruled by creatures who shun the light...

"I'm sure you've heard of Ganondorf," the woman whispered, looking at him. He had. "His power was sealed away ages ago. But his evil re-awakened recently, and he sought a body to house his life in. He has a puppet...the king of Twilight..._Zant_.

"I was given the choice of life or death...I chose for Hyrule to live, and I surrendered to the king of shadows. Twilight covered Hyrule like a shroud, and without light, the people turned into spirits. Within the twilight they live on, unaware that they have passed on into spirit forms. All the people know now is fear...Fear of a nameless evil...The kingdom succumbed to twilight, but I remain it's princess."

The woman bent down her head and lifted the cloak off her head. Her blond hair flowed down her back and she straightened, her eyes shining with tears. A golden crown lay atop her head. "I am Zelda."

Link was speechless. The woman from his dreams! The one who said...What was it? 'It is coming.' But, while he recognized her on that standard, something else seemed familiar. He'd never seen the princess before, but...

_A graceful woman with deep, sapphire eyes - much like his own - stopped in front of him. Atop her head was a shimmering crown. Blond hair tumbled flawlessly down her back, and she was cloaked in an intricate dress. Something about her looked familiar..._

Link shook his head. More importantly...The princess of Hyrule...she now ruled this...twilight? And Hyrule, the Hyrule he had been hours away from visiting...It was reduced to some sort of strange _home _of twilight?

"You don't have to look so sad!" Midna cried. "We actually find it to be quite livable! I mean...Is perpetual twilight really all that bad?"

"Midna, this is no time for levity. The shadow beasts have been searching wide and far for you. Why is this?"

"Why indeed?" Midna flew off of Link and shrugged. "You tell me," she said with a nervous laugh.

"Time has grown short," Zelda whispered. "The guard will soon make his rounds. You must leave here quickly.

Link felt Midna hop on his back, and he hesitantly turned around and left.


	4. Chapter 4

The rain had picked up, and Link stayed hidden under the small roof of the window as Midna flew away from him. She faced him and smirked. Her face was kind of cute the more he looked at it, and her red eye was almost...pretty. But behind its glossy exterior he caught something...Greed. Selfishness. A bit of pain, masked by hatred.

"So, do you understand where we are now?"

He did. He wasn't in just some strange world...it was HIS world. Taken over. Corrupted. Shadowed. And, Farore...Ordon could be next.

"Well, a promise is a promise, so I guess I'll take you back to where you first transformed in twilight...But are you really sure you should be going back?"

Link looked down at the ground. Should he?

"Are you sure you aren't forgetting anything important?" Midna smirked, tapped her finger to her chin, and suddenly she spun around and Colin was screaming, then Ilia. Link's eyes softened at the sight of her.

"Ooh, now THAT sure caught your attention," The Ilia-looking Midna giggled. "You must really like her." Link felt his heart skip a beat and his face heat up. Thank Din he was a wolf.

She giggled. "Do you want to save them?" Link whined, trying to say yes. "Well in that case, little Midna would be happy to help you."

"Oh, really?" Bark.

"Well, you'd have to be my servant, and like a servant, you'd have to do exactly as I say!" She was back to normal, with her strange black and white pattern and short, stubby legs. "Why don't you go back, take a little time, and give it some thought?"

Midna giggled, and suddenly Link couldn't feel anything beneath his feet. It felt as though he was being crushed into nothingness and stretched out into infinity at the same time, yet...it didn't hurt. Everything shifted below him and his vision dissolved into black.

Link slowly...floated?...down close to the ground, when his feet slammed down and he toppled over, legs weak. He looked around and saw that he was back in Ordon Spring. His throat felt dry until he realized that everything looked a bit different. Lighter. Happier. His home, at least, wasn't twilight.

"Oh, that's right, I forgot to mention one thing." Link spun around, but Midna was nowhere in sight. "Even though you've left the darkened world, you haven't transformed back to your former self, and you won't anytime soon. Now why could that be?" Midna's giggle echoed in his mind, and Link winced. He was still a beast. He had no choice but to be her servant and then, maybe, he'd get back to normal and would be able to see Ilia again...Link shook his head. Right...Colin too.

"So, um, now what?" Link asked.

Bark!

A shadow in the shape of Midna suddenly floated in front of him, and she giggled as Link jumped. "You didn't think I'd disappeared, did you?"

More like hoped.

"Listen, there's another thing I forgot to tell you...don't think you can just run off and save your friends, because you can't. Just beyond that bridge, the land is covered in Twilight. Last time, a shadow beast pulled you through the curtain of twilight. If you want to go through this time, you'll need the cooperation of someone FROM the twilight...like me!"

Great.

"Right now, I want a sword and shield that'll suit me. You do know what that means, right?"  
How was he supposed to get his hands - er, _paws _- on a sword and shield when he couldn't leave Ordon...?

Link suddenly felt sick to his stomach.

He had to steal from his friends.

Either that, or he would never rid Hyrule of Twilight, let alone find Ilia or transform back to a human.

Link hated Midna.

"I suggest you hurry up. While you sit here dawdling, the twilight continues to expand." And she was gone.

Link knew Midna would not change her mind, so he ventured forward. He hated this feeling, like he was a puppet, and every move he made was controlled. His muscles tensed as he noticed a Bulbin. Link slowly inched past the monster, not wanting to be noticed.

He followed the path, escaping unscathed, but then felt a pang of sadness and began feeling dizzy as he walked up to his house. This whole place could become twilight if he didn't hurry. Link realized he was howling, and instantly stopped. He heard a shuffle behind him and spun around to see three monsters, all ganging up on him. He had barely survived two before. But three?

Link jumped at one and knocked it over, but another whacked him across the head with its club. Black spotted his vision and Link jumped aimlessly, trying to hit something. Pain erupted in his side and Link felt warm blood ooze down his leg. Another blow to his head caused him to lose his footing. Stars were scattered in his vision and it hurt to open his eyes. Link felt sharp pain after sharp pain as one monster repeatedly hit him. He squinted his eyes and realized that these were the same monsters that had captured Ilia and Colin.

With shaking legs Link stood up and rammed his head into the beast's stomach. It toppled over and Link leapt at another one, sinking his teeth deep into its neck. Blood stained his tongue and Link forced himself to swallow it down. He was a beast. Beasts drank blood.

The first beast got up and the last beast advanced on him. His claws jutted out and pierced one of them. He then jumped off and lunged at the last. Instead of killing it, he scratched at its arms and legs, bared his fangs in its face. He jumped on it over and over, letting it feel pain, wishing its own death.

That was for Ilia.

Link felt sick to his stomach again as he thought about what he was about to do. Steal. Not just from anybody...his friends. His family. Those he loved.

"Wait!" Link turned around as he heard the high-pitched voice. "Thanks for taking care of those bad guys." A little squirrel scurried toward him. "They made both the village and the forest a mess. They kidnapped the village children."

Ilia and Colin. He winced.

"But I know you're not one of them. I can tell because you smell like the trees of Ordon." The squirrel began scurrying up a tree. "If you run into any trouble, try talking to animals. We animals understand one another, so you'll be alright!"

Link walked away toward Ordon as the sun slipped away. He saw Hanch standing atop one of the pillars in the stream, and he was looking to the sky. Link inched closer and heard him say, "The children...Please say nothing's happened. Please forgive your good-for-nothing father." Father? What was that supposed to mean? Beth wasn't missing...

Link would probably worry everyone by being there. He should just leave.

Link's tail lowered between his legs and was about to turn around when he heard the sound of Mayor Bo's voice. "Oh! About the shield..."

"Hey, not so loud..." Jaggle.

Link slowly inched closer, hiding in the grass beside them.

"So, that shield is still in your house, right?"

"Uh, yeah, it should be in our storage loft."

"Good! Go grab it, quick as you can! Rusl got wounded pretty bad, so he can't go search for the kids. I'll take over for him."

"But Rusl had a sword, Mayor! And he STILL got hurt! If you're unarmed, you're done for!"

"I'll be fine. The sword we were goin' to present to the royal family should still be at Rusl's house."

"Oh yeah? All right, I understand, Mayor. I'll hurry up and get that shield. You wait right here..."

Link's heart skipped a beat. His heart felt heavy with guilt, but he couldn't let Jaggle get to the shield before him. He stood up proudly, jutting out his chest, making sure they could see him. As expected, they jumped in surprise.

"No good! RUN!"

They hurried away, and Link whimpered. His friends were scared of him.

Suddenly, Midna's shadow was beside him. "Not a bad bit of information you heard, huh?" Midna's eyes traced up Jaggle's house. "Ugh, look at that open window. This village is full of idiots."

Link smiled. Jaggle was always so forgetful.

Midna's entrancing voice started again. "So..." She pointed to a moving waterwheel. "We should jump from there..."

Midna disappeared and Link began walking over to the waterwheel. He was nearing the edge of the river when: "Mon-MONSTER!" Link looked over his shoulder to see Hanch glaring down at him. "You've returned for more, haven't you? My...my daughter...Return her!"

Beth...she was gone, too? That meant...What if Talo and Malo were missing too?

"And TAKE THIS!"

He blew into a piece of grass, and a high-pitched, familiar melody wafted around him. Why did it sound familiar?

A hawk suddenly swooped down and pain shot through Link's side. Tears mixed in his eyes and he ran away. He was no match for the bird.

He hid behind a pillar and closed his eyes, shaking. Now what?

He heard something next to him and noticed a cat. Sera's cat. The one he had chased just a few days ago. "Were you attacked by that hawk? You're no match for him."

"Yeah," Link said. It came out as a strange animal noise, but the cat seemed to understand him. "Nothing like almost getting killed as a wakeup call."

The cat laughed.

Farore! The cat laughed?

"I'm sorry...The person calling the hawk is my master's...husband."

"No problem. You know how men can be."

The cat laughed again.

"You could sneak up from behind and scare him."

Link smiled. "Yeah, thanks."

Maybe cats weren't so bad after all.

Link looked around desperately. How could he get on the pillar? Din knows he couldn't climb up with the vines, and even if he could, the hawk would get to him first.

Midna suddenly flew out from his shadow and over to a large rock. "C'mon, let's get up on the roof from here and scare that guy. Look at him, posing like he's all important. Wait till he sees us!"

Link climbed onto the rock, and Midna flew over to the roof. She flicked her ponytail back and forth, and once again, temptation got the better of him. He leaped at her, barely landing on the roof. She flew away just in time and jumped in his shadow, giggling.

For the love of Nayru, if she giggled one more time...

He jumped onto another roof and then onto the pillar. Hanch turned around and when he saw Link, he screamed and tripped backward, falling off the pillar. Link hurriedly ran over to the edge, ready to offer a hand or call out, "Are you alright?" But, once again, he was reminded he was a canine. A beast. No longer Hanch's friend.

Guilt weighed him down but he managed to jump onto Jaggle's roof and tumble through his window. The wooden shield was bolted loosely to the wall, and thankfully nobody was home. He jumped at it, but it was too high. Instead he succeeded in banging his head against the wall. Link helplessly looked around, but there was nothing he could use to reach it. Maybe he could push a chair over...

Midna popped out of nowhere. "You meathead!" she cried.

Ilia...

_Ilia crossed her arms. "I'm not worried about Epona, you meathead...I'm worried about YOU."_

"Link! Snap out of it! I SAID, when you ran into the wall, it knocked one of the bolts loose! Do it AGAIN!"

Link glared at her, his face hot.

"Oh, is it the girl?" Giggle.

Link barked at her. How on EARTH did she know?

She disappeared, and Link concluded: He hated her.

He rammed his head into the wall again, seeing stars in his vision, but he heard the shield drop to the ground with a satisfying _CLANK_!

Midna popped out of his shadow again and looked at it. "It looks..." She squinted her eyes. "Kinda cheap."

Link grinned, saying, "Are you kidding? It's, like, the best shield ever! I mean, look at it!"

Well, he _thought _that, anyway.

"Alright, then. Next is a sword. Hurry up and get one!"

Link climbed out the window and into the cool night air. Once again, the pressure of time weighed him down. Ordon could become twilight at any moment...he needed that sword.  
He jumped into the lake, and out of the corner of his ear, he heard a familiar voice. Rusl.

"What was that sound?"

Link's heart raced. What if he was seen?

"The children could not have returned...could they?" Rusl was talking to Uli outside his house.

Where the sword was.

Colin...Beth...Ilia...Probably Malo and Talo as well...What on earth was he to do? How could he save them if they were all in twilight...and they couldn't see him when he was?

"I must go and search one last time. You get inside the house."

"No! Rusl! You're injured!" Link cried.

Oops.

Bark! Arf!

Rusl and Uli tensed.

"I have placed the sword that was to be our gift to Hyrule on the couch. If the mayor comes for it, please give it to him."

Uli talked this time. "But darling...your injuries!"

_Thank you!_

Link felt awful that Rusl was going to go searching in the woods for the children...because of _him_! Rusl and Uli continued talking in low voices, and Link had no choice. He had to break into Rusl's house for the sword.

He swam over, careful to hide from the couple. He managed to get out of the water and to the back of Rusl's house without being seen. There was a small patch of soft dirt right by the house, and without thinking he began to dig.

When he surfaced, he found he was inside their house. He grabbed the sword in his mouth and hauled it on his back. He was about to leave when Midna popped up.

"Alright...so now you have a sword. Looks like you can actually be useful when you concentrate!" Link growled at her and she giggled. "Alright, no more detours. I'm going to take you back into the twilight."

Thank Din!

Maybe now he could rescue Ilia.

And Colin, he reminded himself. And Beth, and Talo, and Malo.

"Go back to the woods where you first transformed into that shape."

Great.

He thought, with satisfaction, as she disappeared, I hate her.


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note**:

_Hi guys! Thanks so much to those of you who subscribed to my strory! I really appreciate it. I've decided to start making the chapters a little longer, so prepare yourself! And I believe some of you have mentioned that I'm taking a little longer than most people to upload each chapter. I'll try to hurry up with that, just keep in mind that I'm a teenager, I'm busy with stuff other than just my story, so bear with me. _

_Also, for some reason Fanfiction won't let me edit my stories after I post them, and when I download a chapter from my computer, it doesn't keep the stars (the sign above the number 8 on a computer) which signal a scene change. Hopefully it won't be too much of a problem, but if it's too confusing not knowing when a scene changes, suggest something else I could use to show you when there's a new scene._

_Enjoy!_

"_Now _can we go into the twilight?"

Bark! Bark!

Crap.

"Geez, _someone _is impatient. We'll be there soon, just head to where the wall of twilight actually is."

How did she understand him?

"Wait..."

Link turned around. "Midna?"

Arf!

"Come...to my spring..."

Link peeked into the spring, and his heart felt heavy.

_Link poked Ilia in the stomach, but she grabbed his finger. He tried to twist it free but she held firmly, so instead he poked her with his other hand. She giggled and blocked her stomach with her arms._

He shook his head and began to walk toward the spring. He saw something floating there...light...a spirit, maybe? But it had no real shape...

"You have...been transformed...by the power...of shadow..."

That definitely wasn't Midna.

Link bowed his head in agreement.

"Come to me..."

He walked forward a bit, and walls suddenly appeared all around him.

Whatever the walls were made of seemed to be the same kind of energy the twilight wall was made of. It was just high enough that he couldn't jump over it.

"Beware...a shadow being...it approaches..."

Something above him, way up in the sky, appeared. It also appeared to be made out of twilight magic. Something large and black fell out of the portal...Like the shadow vermin he'd seen in the sewer - but a hundred times bigger.

Great.

He backed up to the wall, but the energy shoved him to the ground. The giant shadow thing lunged at him and Link felt pain shoot through his side. He ran away from it, then, without a second thought, lunged at it.

"Link, what in Nayru...?"

"Not now, Midna!" Link shouted, or, rather, barked, as he slashed his claws into its skin. It took some damage, but was still fighting. One more hit and it would be dead.

Never once did fear cross his mind as he lunged at it again. This time he sunk his death into it, and it collapsed under him.

Link backed off of it and watched as it broke into a million bits, which were carried into the portal. Which stayed.

The walls, however, disappeared. The water and stones around him were bathed in light, and a small orb appeared in front of him. He watched as light suddenly extended from it, and a magnificent creature, unlike anything he'd seen, displayed itself before his eyes.

"O brave youth..." it said slowly. The more he looked at it, the more it looked like one of the Ordon goats.

"I am one of four light spirits that protect Hyrule at the behest of the gods. I am Ordona."

So maybe it _was _a goat.

"The black beast you slayed was a shadow being. It had come to seize the power of light I wield."

The twilight...

"My brethren in Hyrule have already had their light stolen by these fell beasts," it explained. Did that mean Ordon was the only place _not _overrun by twilight? "The entire kingdom has been reduced to a netherworld ruled by the cursed powers of darkness. The blight will not stop with Hyrule. Before long, the entire world of light will fall into the hands of the king who rules the twilight."

Zant.

No, not just Zant - Ganondorf.

"To save this land from the king of twilight, the lost light must be recovered. The three light spirits who have lost their light must be revived."

Sweet merciful Din, was this spirit - Ordona, was it? - going to ask _him _to recover the lost light?

"There is but one who can revive them and redeem this land..."

_Here it comes...  
_

There was a pause...then...

"You."

"No, no, Farore, NO!" Link said. "There's no way you can trust the fate of the _world _with _me_! Why can't someone else do it? Rusl -"

Bark! Yip! Whine...Snarl!

Dammit.

"You still have not discovered your true power."

"_You are destined for great things_..." Sweet merciful Din...

"Those transformed by twilight usually cannot recover their original forms..."

Great.

_This day just keeps getting better.  
_

"Unless..."

Thank Din...

"...If you were to return to Faron Woods where you were first transformed...If you were to revive the light spirit...There, by the power of the light spirit, you may find the means to regain your other state of being..."

The light spirit gave off a blinding, radiant light, then faded away.

Dammit! He couldn't even save Ilia and Colin when they were captured! And now he was told he had to save the _world_? He was the _only one _that could save the world?

He just couldn't win! Either save the world or be stuck as a wolf with that thing on his back forever.

Damn!

"So, are we going or what?" Midna said, flying out of his shadow.

Has he mentioned he hated her?

Link looked up at the moon and sighed. He lapped up some water from the spring to heal himself, then stood up.

He seriously doubted he could save all of Hyrule.

But he could at least try.

"Hey, look," Midna said.

They were back in the goddess-damned twilight. He didn't know why he had been so excited to go back in the first place. To save Ilia, Colin, and the others, sure, but right now he felt miserable as Hell, and he just wanted to go back. The place was unbelievably creepy, and as if just plain twilight wasn't bad enough, he recognized the place. It was like a twisted, evil version of his home.

"The Faron Woods that you know so well...They're now covered in twilight."

"_Really_? I never would have guessed."

Bark.

He had to stop trying to talk. How long exactly until he was a human again? He had a few words for Midna once he could speak.

Midna grabbed the sword and shield and hopped on his back. "Hmm! So these are the weapons you use in your world." Link looked and saw that the shield was on her face, and she was holding the wrong end of the sword. She swung it randomly.

Dumb as sand.

"You really think these things can slay the creatures of twilight?" She threw them at his face. "Well, I won't use them, but I'll hang onto them for you."

The items disappeared in the same manner the shadow being had after he killed it.

By now, Link had figured out that Midna was a creature from the twilight. And to him, she reflected the twilight perfectly. Greedy, bastardly, and evil. What did Midna want with him, anyway?

"Alright, a promise is a promise...I trust you enough to help."

Help him with what? Saving the world from twilight?

Fat chance.

Midna grabbed his ear and leaned in, whispering, "In exchange for my help, though, I need you to gather some things for me."

Great. More stealing.

"Look, I can't tell you all the details now, but it'll be easy, trust me..."

Link didn't like how Midna said that...He didn't actually believe it would be easy, like she said, but he couldn't help but wonder what exactly the...things...were.

"But enough about that. Do you hear that noise?" There was some sort of shimmering, lively, noise...But not evil. Probably the best thing he'd heard all day. "It's a lamentation of the light spirit that had its light stolen. Where in the world could it be? Eee hee!"

_Hmm, I don't know, Midna. That's a tough one.  
_

Before he could start heading toward the spring, Midna's irritating voice rattled off once more. "Better get going, don't you think? Don't blame me for your world's fate if you don't hurry up and find that light!"

He growled at her.

"Come on! Snap to it!"

He paused for a moment, smirking to himself, then jumped through the air and broke into a run. Midna yelped and gripped onto his fur tightly, her eyes wide and angry. He yipped and his tail wagged happily. Maybe there were _some _benefits to being a beast.

He came across a fairly large opening in the forest. He was nearly to the spring, but suddenly, those twilight walls appeared all around him, and he looked up at the sky expectantly. He sighed. This could get annoying really fast. At least shadow beings were easy.

He was forced to eat his own words when he saw not one, not two, but three shadow beings fall from the sky. He began to growl, his heart hammering in his chest. "Aww... we're penned in again! Pffft! Who do they think they're dealing with?" Midna said. "No need to take these little pests one at a time, right? You can take them all at once!"

Link's growl intensified as Midna said, "So...you can handle this by yourself, can't you? Good luck! 'Bye!" and flew off, past the wall.

_Wow, Midna. Thanks a lot. Really appreciate it.  
_

_No, really. Couldn't do it without you.  
_

Link sighed and jumped out of the way as they were about to jump at him. Instead, they knocked into each other. He leapt and one and ripped his claws across it. It fell limp, but did not disappear. He only had time to ponder why for a moment before another one leapt at him. Pain rippled across his front left paw, but he jumped at it and sunk his teeth into it. It collapsed and Link ran toward the third one.

Pain hit his ears before he knew what was happening. An ear-splitting, deafening scream echoed around him, and through his squinted eyes he saw that the source was the last shadow beast. The noise stopped, and Link lunged at it. Once it was dead, he saw the other two beasts were...alive?

Had that noise brought them back to life?

Dammit!

He ran over to Midna. "What's the holdup?" she asked, seeing his helpless expression. "If you leave the last one alive, it's just going to use that shriek to bring the others back."

Nope.

Hadn't figured _that _one out yet.

"Listen, let me help you out here. Just move like I tell you. If you get close enough for them all to be in it, I'll release an energy field. Once that happens, they'll be temporarily frozen. Then is your chance, before it screams!"

He did as Midna said. Her energy field highlighted each one, and he jumped at them, one by one but incredibly fast. They all collapsed in a heap at the same time, and dissolved into a million bits of black twilight energy, which shot up through the portal.

Midna patted him on the back sarcastically, and Link returned the favor by baring his fangs at her. He heard a strange noise - louder, now - and hurried toward it. The spring.  
Light fragments were floating around in a mass where the light spirit should have been. It looked weak and humble, and Link felt bad for having not cared about it, and only wanting to be human again. The instant he saw it, he changed his mind.

He was damn sure he wasn't some chosen hero, but the people, animals, spirits - everyone in Hyrule - needed someone brave, someone skilled, someone who would take back their land and save them. They needed a hero.

He didn't have to be chosen to be one.

_Still_, tickled a thought in the back of his mind,_ there's no reason I _couldn't _be the Chosen Hero...what if I _am_? _Link looked up as the light spirit began to speak.

"...Please...be careful...these woods...have changed..."

Faron woods...He remembered when he used to play hide-and-seek with Ilia and Shad - back when Shad was around - when they were five, and they would convince Jaggle to come along, because hide-and-seek wasn't as fun with only three people...He remembered the day when Fado had first taught him and Shad to ride a horse, right around here, when they were ten, and he'd challenged Fado to a race...and won...Or the day after his grandmother died when he was thirteen, how Ilia had found him hiding behind, Farore, that tree right there...and they had almost... almost...kissed...

Right.

Back to the task at hand...

Find Ilia and Colin and the others. And to do that, he had to save the light spirit so he'd become a human again.

Farore...he really _was _going crazy.

"The dark clouds of dusk cover this land...This drape of shadows is called...twilight."

As Midna and Zelda had already told him.

There were plenty of things Link was totally clueless about right now...but the only things he _did _know were the things that were obvious...The things he knew were the ones that were repeated to him...over and over...

"In this twilight, those who live in the light...become as mere spirits...It is a place...where the dark ones and evil creatures dwell..."

Again, he already knew this.

"I...am a spirit...of light..."

Oh, really?

Link felt bad, though. He shouldn't be think these things to a light spirit.

"...Blue-eyed beast. Look...for my light...Retrieve the light stolen by the dark beasts...and keep it...in this vessel."

The Vessel of Light appeared before him. It was small and simple. Midna grabbed it, but did not dematerialize. At least that way the light would be easier to collect.

"When the vessel is full of tears, you can dispel the twilight and return the land to its light-filled state. In the shadows of twilight...the dark insects are as...invisible...as normal beings are here...Use your powers...as a beast...to reveal their location..."

What in Nayru's name did that mean?

What powers did he have as a beast? And if he did, how would that help him find the...insects, did the spirit call them?

"...Find...the insects of darkness...The dark insects...They are the form taken by evil...once it has latched on to...our scattered light..."

It suddenly began to fade.

"Please...chosen hero...make haste..."

Link wandered for a little bit, but never did see any...light-filled...insects...or whatever. Midna pulled his ear, and Link growled. "Your senses, dummy!"

Link's face grew warm.

_I knew that...  
_

He closed his eyes and and once again felt something switch inside him. Then, out of nowhere, he saw a small, unfamiliar...thing. "Insect" suddenly didn't seem like such a bad name.

He leapt at it and it died...too easy. It became dim and almost invisible...and some sort of light flew out of it. It absorbed itself into the Vessel that Midna was holding, but he could still feel its warmth and life. Clearly, Midna did too, and she made a disgusted face. Ha. Now she knew how he felt in the twilight.

He continued walking around the forest, seeing insect after insect, finding light fragment after light fragment. Some were underground that he had to dig, and some could fly. At one point he'd encountered the strange man that had given him a lantern. He'd also been able to see the bugs, but not Link. Link still didn't understand why they didn't see him.

Right now he was in a cave, the same one that he'd fought all those bats in. He didn't find any bugs, but he exited quickly. There was a strange fog in most of the forest, but he figured it was nothing, and proceeded forward. Before long, he began feeling light-headed and dizzy. Why was the world tilting around him? Why were his eyelids feeling so heavy? What was he supposed to be doing? Where...where was he?

Something was pulling him, and he stumbled the direction they were pulling him, hearing faintly, "Link! Get out! Come on, dummy!" Whoever was speaking sounded like they were underwater.

At first he felt angry, but then he didn't know why. The voice was familiar...

"There!"

He felt his legs collapsed beneath him, and he stopped struggling to keep his eyes open. But suddenly, his head cleared, and his eyes popped open. "What happened?"

Bark!

Dammit.

That was getting really annoying.

"You are the dumbest person alive."

So he'd been told.

"The fog is poisonous! You could have been killed!" she cried, kicking him. "Then little old me would have been stuck with no help. Some chosen hero..."

"Listen here, Midna. Do you have _any _idea what I'm going through right now? I know for a fact that I'm NO chosen hero, but even so, I'm still somehow in charge of returning light to all the light spirits and saving the world from twilight! The least of my problems is the little toys you want me to get for you! The very least you could do at this point is be worried about me instead of fretting over yourself!"

One unbelievably loud, furious bark jumped out of his mouth instead of any of those words.

"Don't get feisty with me, Link. I'm trying to help you!"

"Help me? That's the-" Link growled, then sighed. He couldn't argue if he couldn't speak, so he let it go.

For now.

He wasn't done with Midna.

"Someone...Someone helped me?"

Link looked up at it. Hey...wasn't that the same monkey that had gotten captured with Talo?

At the thought of Talo, Link's heart sank.

"Boy, lucky for me..." she said, turning to look at the entrance of the Forest Temple. "Ever since the boss went funny in the head, there've been scary monsters everywhere...Those village kids got led through the woods for some reason...The whole forest is so weird now...What's happened?"

Twilight. Twilight's what happened.

Link ran over to the remaining tear of light and felt himself absorb it. "Link..." Midna said hesitantly, "The...the Vessel can't hold any more. It's full."

"Then we're done," Link muttered.

Woof...Bark!

Thank Din he was done! No more trying to talk but barking instead. He could finally give Midna a piece of his mind...

He raced back to the spring and felt the pads of his feet cool down in water, and suddenly, a thought crossed his mind. Ordona, the first spirit, told him this one _might _be able to turn him back into a human. What if...what if he was stuck as a beast...forever?

His panic quickly died down. Whatever was coming, he was ready for it. He wasn't sure of his fate...but he was brave enough to face it.

The Vessel left Midna's hands and dipped into the water, disappearing.

The next thing he knew, it was like a weight was lifted off of his shoulders. Some immense tension and fear all around him was gone. And light was once again in his beloved Faron Woods.

Thank the goddesses...

Midna jumped out of his shadow. Was he a beast, still? He couldn't tell.  
"Aww, but it was so nice here in the twilight...What's so great about a world of light, anyway?" Giggle. "See you later!"

She disappeared.

"Oh, no...you ARE NOT going to just...leave! If you think I'm going to be your puppet and get those things for you, you have another thing coming!" Link yelled.

Or, he yelled in his mind.

He didn't want to know for sure whether or not he was a beast. He was just...scared.

Suddenly, a glimmering, golden light surfaced on the water, and another spirit materialized in the same manner as the first one. This one looked sort of like...like a monkey. It very well may have been...There _were _monkeys in Faron woods...

"My name is Faron," it said slowly. "I am one of the spirits of light who dwell in Hyrule. By the order of the gods, I protect this forest."

Not well enough, clearly.

Link closed his eyes, ashamed. _Never mind_, he thought, as though the spirit could read his mind. _I didn't mean it..._

"O brave youth...In the land covered in twilight, where people roam as spirits, you were transformed into a blue-eyed beast..."

Again, nothing against the spirit, but way to point out the obvious! He'd been told that same thing about a thousand times...

"That was a sign...It was a sign that the powers of the chosen one rest within you...and that they are awakening."

Not this bullshit again.

Link was NOT the chosen hero!

"Look at your awakened form..."

This was it. He closed his eyes and took in a deep, shaky breath. Was he going to be a wolf forever?

Oh, Farore...

Link slowly opened his eyes and looked down at his hands.

Human hands.

_Oh, Farore, they're human hands! HUMAN HANDS!  
_

He was himself!

Link felt light-headed with glee.

He was himself! He was a human - no, a hylian - again! He wasn't some beast...he could have all his friends back...he could rescue the kids...Everything would be okay!

Oh, Farore, Din, and Nayru!

HE WAS HIMSELF!

Link realized before long that he was laughing out loud. His mouth hurt from smiling, but it didn't matter. He didn't care. He was himself.

And that meant he could speak again!

"The green tunic that is your garb once belonged to the ancient hero chosen by the gods...His power is yours. His is the true power that slept within you."

Wait, what?

Link looked down and saw he wasn't wearing his old clothes. He was wearing brown gloves. Upon further inspection, he found his clothes were...green.

"Green? Really?"

Damn, it felt so good to talk again.

He felt something on his head.

"Wow. A hat to match," he said, fingering it. He guessed it was green, like his outfit. He wasn't really complaining - his smile never faltered - but he just needed an excuse to speak. He also noticed the garment he was wearing was knight's clothing...But instead of armor, green cloth was layered over it. Some chainmail was still visible, and Link was in no way angry, but he couldn't resist saying, "Even better! A skirt and tights!"

Midna elbowed him in the ribs. She was only a shadow, but she could still touch him. And hurt him...

"Sorry," Link said. "Continue."

If Link didn't know any better, he'd say the light spirit was...amused. "You...brave youth...are the hero chosen by the gods."

Link crossed his arms. "No offense to the gods," he began, "but they chose a pretty lousy hero." He sighed, rubbing his head. "I suppose you'd know best, but I don't believe you. I'm no hero. I'm not special. I'm not chosen. And you can't expect me to save Hyrule from twilight because of a wrong assumption."

"Brave hero..."

"No!" Link shouted, getting angry. "I'm not brave. I'm NOT courageous. I'm NOT SPECIAL!" He frowned darkly at the spirit. "I'll do what you want, but I ask that you treat me how I deserve to be treated. Because I'm not special. I'm just...Link."  
The light spirit looked taken aback. Midna was glaring at him with rage he'd never seen before.

"Link...A dark power rests in the temple deep within these woods. It is a forbidden power. Long, long ago, I and the other spirits of light locked it away." _Let me guess_, Link thought,_ it's back and _I_ have to stop it. _"Because of its nature, it is a power that should never be touched by any who dwell in the light. But this world weeps beneath a mantle of shadows, and so there is no choice...You must match the power of the king of shadows."

Link threw his arms in the air. "And what makes you think _I_ can do it? There are plenty of people a hundred times more skilled than me! I...I have no training! No experience! Why me?" He interrupted the spirit before it could speak again. "Because I'm _chosen_, right? _Special_? The gods wanted _me_? One question..." He took in a shaky breath. "_Why_? _Why _did they choose me? The sarcastic, hot-headed, scrawny kid who herds goats at Ordon is _not_, I repeat, NOT, special! And he sure couldn't save the world, even if he wanted to!"

The light spirit paused. "In my time of need, Link...I ask you for a favor. If it is what you desire, I will not think of you as the hero chosen by the gods...I ask you only as a friend..."

The light spirit burst into a brilliant fit of light, then disappeared.

Midna floated in front of him, looking overly nonchalant. "Well, you're the chosen hero and all that," she said, "which is why you turned into that beast. What a shame... I mean, maybe you'd rather just wander as a spirit like the rest of them, totally unaware of what was happening for all eternity...right?"

"That's the dream, Midna," Link muttered.

"Oh, and there was something else. What was it again? Oh yeah." She suddenly kicked him in the stomach.

Hard.

"That's for embarrassing me!" she cried. "What in the world is the matter with you? You don't just yell like that at a light spirit!"

"Oh, believe me, Midna. I have about three times as much to say to you."

"Do you, n -"

"First of all, WHAT THE HELL?" he screamed, interrupting her. "Nobody, I repeat, NOBODY, has the right to do what you did! You _used _me! And you clearly _followed _me a bit first, because you somehow knew my name! And you had absolutely NO RIGHT to take advantage of me like that! To just...USE me! Without telling me ANYTHING! I got all my information from that damned princess!"

Midna blinked. "In case you didn't know," she hissed, glaring viciously, "I broke you out of the -"

"Furthermore, Midna," he spat, "I have NO intentions of helping you any more! I'll rid that temple of evil _on my own_, and get rid of the twilight _on my own_, and you can go find your little playthings ON YOUR -"

"...own?" she finished for him. If looks could kill... "If you know what's good for you, you'll keep me around! You NEED me, Link! You're an idiot!"

"Oh, really? You think _I'm _-"

"Yes, I do!" she shouted. "You need me! And as much as I hate to say it, I need you too! Those 'playthings' happen to be VERY POWERFUL items that I happen to NEED as soon as possible! I have every bit as many problems as YOU, Link! And I'm not LEAVING just because you can't sort _yours _out on your own!"

She disappeared into his shadow, and he swore under his breath.

Link hated Midna.


	6. Chapter 6

Link let out a frustrated groan.

"Are you going or not?"

"Midna, I'm looking for my friends!"

"Face it," she said, pretending to fix her fingernails, "they're not here. They must be somewhere else in the twilight. The only way to get in is if I let you in, and I won't let you in until you get the first thing for me."

Link sighed. "Fine. Do you know where it is?"

"You really are as dumb -"

"Wait," Link interrupted. "That spirit said there was something in the t-" he stopped suddenly and stared at Midna. "A forbidden power. You're searching for a forbidden, evil power?" He crossed his arms, glaring. "Why?"

"Why should I tell you?"

"You owe me some answers!"

She let out a puff of air. "And you'll get them. Later."

Link glared.

"So, are you going to head to that temple?"

"Haven't you figured anything out yet?" Link asked. "I'm finding my friends first! I need to make sure they're safe! They might be in the twilight, but if they're NOT?"

She sighed. "The way I see it, maybe they're in that temple, waiting for you to rescue them..."

He rubbed his head. She did have a point...

"Well, good luck, Mr. Important Hero!"

"Midna!" he cried. "I'm NOT A -"

She disappeared into his shadow.

"Dammit!"

Link continued on, when he came across a new monster - it looked like a...a plant. It was connected to the ground with a stem, and its mouth also resembled some part of a plant. It lashed out at him and bit him, and Link jumped back.

"Now then...It's finally time for that weapon I worked so hard to get!"

Link frowned darkly. "You didn't work for anything. I'm the one that got this sword and shield! And frankly, I don't appreciate that these are my friends' things! I don't have any intention of -"

The plant struck him again, and Link swore under his breath.

"You remember how to use weapons, right?"

"No, Midna. I just forgot how to swing a sword and hold up a shield."

"I'm so helpful, aren't I?" Link laughed sourly. "Eee hee hee! Just think of me when you use those, OK?"

"Sure," Link said bitterly. "I'll think of you as my opponent while I use them."

He drew his sword and sliced the stem of the plant. It quickly shriveled and died, and Link sheathed his new weapon with satisfaction.

"Come on," he said as he dodged another plant, "we're going to visit someone."

"Hmph!" Midna jumped into his shadow.

Link walked up to the opening in the forest where the strange man who had given him his lantern was before. He was sitting in his usual spot, fast asleep.

"Um...excuse me..." Link tapped his shoulder.

Awkward.

"Hunh?"

"Yeah, um, hi."

"Oh...It's the Ordonian!"

Link crossed his arms. "That's a way to put it."

"You seemed familiar, but then your clothes seemed kinda different, so I got thrown off for a second!"

Oh, Farore...he WAS wearing new clothes...His friends were going to recognize him though, right? They had to, right? He wouldn't be gone that long.

Right?

"Can I have some lantern oil?"

"I actually have a special, one-time offer! I'll give you a bottle full of lantern oil for only 100 Rupees!"

"One...hundred?" Link opened his pouch, muttering something about high prices. "Fine. here you go." He tossed a purple Rupee, two red Rupees, and a yellow Rupee at him.

"Listen," the man said as he filled up a bottle, "things have been a little rough around here lately, so you should watch your step, OK, guy? There are so many monsters now...I got kinda scared and closed off the path to the temple."

"What?" Link ran a finger through his hair. "I need to get to that temple!"

"Oh, sorry guy. I might give it to you...for a price."

Link sighed. "Fifty Rupees? It's all I have."

The man sized him up. "Well, you looked geared up for it..." Link handed him the last of his money, and the man smiled. "Here you go." He handed Link a small metallic key, along with the filled bottle of oil.

"Thanks, I guess."

Link opened the gate and entered the cave. There were more creatures than the last time he'd been there. The twilight was gone, but it had definitely left something to show for it. More than just keese got in his way. There were plenty of those plant-monster things, and there were some rats in his path as well. By now, Link was used to killing things, so the cave was no problem.

He exited and, with dread, saw that the purple fog was still there. "Damn!" he shouted, throwing his sword at the ground. Last time, he'd been able to jump across the trees with Midna's help. But he wasn't a wolf any more. He was stuck!

Perfect, he thought as the sun began to dip in the sky, now it's nighttime. Everyone knew that even more monsters came out at night. He was officially screwed.

He pulled his lantern out, and out of nowhere, that monkey jumped out and grabbed it from him.

"Hey!"

He ran after it. "Get back here! I need that!"

He saw that she'd put it on the end of a stick, and was now shaking it around wildly. "Stop!" he shouted at it, as though it would understand. "You're wasting the oil!"

"Hey, what's this monkey's problem?" Midna said, suddenly next to him. "You idiot! While you were staring off into dreamland, your lantern got stolen!"

"So-orry, but I was trying to figure out how to get past the fog! Now if you'll excuse me, I need to get it back! Your bickering isn't actually as helpful as you may think."

She disappeared into his shadow, and he took off after the monkey.

The monkey was continuing to wave it around like crazy. He caught up to her, but couldn't grab hold of it. She was waving it too fast!

Damned monkey!

He almost had a grip on it, but out of nowhere she took off, running into a deep patch of fog.

"Wait up!"

She stopped suddenly, waving it again.

Link looked around. Dammit! He was standing in the fog! He began running before he passed out again, but he realized the fog was...leaving? It was gone?

What was going on?

The monkey ran forward again, right into the fog.

"What the h-"

Fog began to form around him again, and the monkey started waving his lantern. He hurried to catch up to the monkey and it was then that he realized what she was doing. The lantern was clearing the fog! All he had to do was stick close to the thing, and...

She stopped.

Link looked around. Why was the monkey...cowering? Shaking? Was it in fear? Had she been in the fog too long?

Pain rippled across his arm and he screamed. Oh, for the love of Nayru...it was just a Bokoblin. Was this monkey going to cower near every single monster they encountered?

Ten minutes later proved that yes, she was.

The sound of her high-pitched screams as she shook the lantern was getting on his nerves.

Finally, Link could see another gate, which blocked the path leading to the temple. The monkey dropped the lantern and disappeared as she ran off somewhere. Maybe monkeys weren't so bad...

He bent down and picked up his lantern. Shoot...It ran out of oil while he was following the monkey around...

He sighed. At least he'd gotten some extra oil from that crazy guy...

He unlocked the gate and stepped through the small little cavern. The open field in front of him displayed a strange sight...Against the edge of some trees lay what looked like a...

A bridge?

Why would there be a sideways bridge in northern Faron Woods?

He shook his head, directing his attention to the two Bokoblins that hadn't noticed him yet. He snuck behind them, then sliced his sword through the first one's back. It collapsed, and Link drew his sword again just in time to knock the second Bokoblin in the face with the hilt of the blade, then slice his head off.

Midna popped up next to him. "Do you have to be so gruesome about it?" she asked, her expression in deep disgust.

"Just trying out new moves. What's the matter, can't handle it?" he taunted, flipping his sword around his hand and then sheathing it.

Midna turned red. Well, red for a shadow being. "I didn't say that! I just..."

"Mmm hmm," Link said with a smile. He saw something glint as it caught sunlight and was delighted to see a red Rupee lying in a patch of grass!

He picked it up. Thirty Rupees, he thought, continuing onward. These woods aren't so bad, even with all the monsters. Midna crossed her arms and rolled her eyes before sinking back into his shadow.

Something caught his attention that dissipated the smile on Link's face. He unsheathed his sword and cautiously approached a bright, white wolf with ember eyes panting in front of him. The wolf jumped at him, and Link raised his shield...But suddenly everything became white, and Link couldn't remember anything else.

* * * * *  
When Link awoke, he was standing in a strange white fog. He looked around, unsure what just happened through the fog in his mind. There was endless whiteness in front of him, but he heard the wolf panting behind him and spun around - only to see a strange man - maybe a stalfos - in front of him. He was much larger than Link, and he unsheathed his sword. He looked like a human, wearing layers of armor...but it was almost as if there was no body under the armor. A small, glowing orb around where its stomach should have been was exposed.

The strange man raised his sword in the air and held his shield out in front of him, in a battle stance. The man did not attack Link, but stood there defensively. Something in Link's mind told him this man was not his enemy, but he ignored it. Instead he gripped the blade tighter and ran at him, screaming a battle cry. His sword had barely touched the man when he raised his sword and whacked Link across the head, sending him tumbling to the ground. Pain rippled in waves across where the man had struck him, and Link groaned.

"A sword wields no strength unless the hand that holds it has courage," he said.

"Trust me," Link muttered under his breath, "I'm not short on courage. It's skill I need."

"You may be destined to become the hero of legend...but your current power would disgrace the proud green of the hero's tunic you wear."

"Can't say I disagree," Link said, louder this time.

The man continued, "You must use your courage to seek power...and find it you must. Only then will you become the hero for whom this world despairs."

"I'm not a hero!" Link cried. "You can't turn me into something I'm not! I'll ACT as a hero, sure, to save my friends. But I can't become a hero!"

The man stared him down. He knew something Link didn't..."If you do find true courage, and you wish to save Hyrule from the horrors it now faces...Then you will be worthy to receive the secrets I hold."

So he decided to hide it from him. Link was angry, but he also respected that the man did not insist that he was the chosen hero. "Learn a new, advanced skill so I can save all of Hyrule? No sweat," Link said with a crooked grin. "Let's get started!"

"Very well. Enemies that are filled with energy will quickly recover and attack again even when stunned by a powerful strike," he explained. "The ending blow is a secret technique you can use on stunned enemies to end their breath before they spring back into action. When an enemy lies collapsed on the ground, stunned, jump without delay to leap high into the air and deliver a final strike, driven through the heart. When the opportunity to end their breath is before you, do not hesitate. Now, try it on me!"

The man crouched in a battle stance, and Link paused. He didn't want to kill the man... But how could he be sure this person was really his friend? A million questions swam into his head, but one phrase stuck out in his mind: "A sword wields no strength unless the hand that holds it has courage." Right...somewhere inside him, he had to find courage.

He jabbed his sword forward, hitting the man's weak spot...again...and again... The man wasn't even deflecting. Before long he was collapsed on the ground.

No hesitation...

He jumped through the air, his sword extended downward, and pierced his stomach.

He hopped off and pulled his sword with him.

The man was still.

Sweet merciful Din, he wasn't moving!

"Hmm. That was a pinpoint strike."

He pulled himself up and was once again standing in front of Link. "Never overlook your opportunity to finish off your opponent!"

Link blinked, then smiled a bit. He nodded. "The first hidden skill, the ending blow, has been passed on!"

"The first?" Link asked. "Are there more hidden skills?"

"There are still six hidden skills for you to learn. Those are only for one who carries the blood of the hero...the one whose spirit is that of the sublime beast."

"Just so you know, I'm not a hero. I guess turning into a beast made everyone seem to think I am, but I'm not...chosen." He raised an eyebrow. The more he said that...the more he began to doubt it. "I'm going to act as one, though, for my friends." He took in a deep breath, getting back on subject. "So there are six skills...are you teaching them all to me now? I mean, I'd like to learn them, but I'm a little busy."

"Grow powerful. Test your courage. And when you find that you need another skill to overcome the threats that face you...Search for the statues that howl with the sound of the wind. Seek the sound that calls to the spirit of the beast to awaken me again."

"What the hell does that mean?"

"A sword wields no strength unless the hand that holds it has courage. Summon this courage and you will know soon enough."

"Great, more riddles!" Link cried. "Can you give me a straight answer about anything?"

The man didn't have a mouth, but for some reason Link thought he was smiling. "Farewell!" he cried.

So the man thought it was amusing to taunt him.

"No! Stop! I need answers! Can't you t -"

And the whiteness around him began to fade.

* * * * *  
What's the worst thing you've ever smelled?

Focus on how awful it was.

Now multiply that by two.

Cake it in animal feces.

And coat it all in a thick, creamy layer of century-old blood.

"Sweet merciful Din!" Link cried, his hand shooting up to his nose. "Okay, I think we're done here."

Midna popped up next to him. "Don't be such a pussy." Her eyes suddenly grew wide. "Farore! You light-creatures are just so...Oh, the Goddesses! That smell...Well, have fun!" She giggled and disappeared.

"And, again, thank you so much, Midna!"

He took a step forward into the temple, and his boot landed in ankle-deep water. At least, he hoped it was water. He continued walking in the creepy, disturbing darkness, when he stepped into a lighter room. "Room" was quite a strong word - the walls that extended quite far upward looked like tree bark, and vines snaked down many areas. There were a few tikis in the room, a cage guarded by a Bokoblin, and a door at the end. It was eerily empty aside from the rock and other features.

Link began to walk toward the cage - which he saw had a monkey in it - when suddenly, keese flew at him from several directions and a few plant-monsters sprouted. The Bokoblin came running toward him as well.

Surrounded by enemies, Link knew he could not slash them each individually. He glanced from creature to creature, then swung his blade around in a circle. Each enemy was stunned. Some died, but a few got back up. Easily enough, he repeated his action, and in seconds all the monsters were dead.

He noticed that in the process, he'd broken the cage the monkey was in. She climbed up a patch of vines, onto the platform, and gestured for him to follow. The door to another room was next to her.

"Hey! That's the monkey that stole your lantern! Doesn't it look like she's beckoning you? Aren't you the popular one!" Giggle.

"That monkey is helping me!" Link argued. "She knows her way around the temple better than me. Maybe I should listen." He grabbed onto the vines with his hands, then lifted a foot onto them.

"Link!"

"What now?"

"Can't you see those spiders? They're poisonous!"

There were two spiders, about the size of his head, climbing on the vines. "Well, what am I supposed to do? I can't reach them to kill them."

"What about your sling shot?"

"I gave it to Talo. How did you know I - MIDNA!" She was holding it in her hand. "You stole it?"

"That boy wasn't using it, anyway. He was a little too busy being kidnapped." Giggle. "I guess you want it now. No need to thank me!" Another giggle and she was gone.

Link kicked the ground. What was he supposed to do? Sure, I'm glad I have the slingshot, he thought as he pulled the item in question up and shot a rock at one of the spiders, knocking it down and killing it, but what kind of sick person steals something they gave away? To be fair, he didn't steal it; Midna did. But it somehow felt just as wrong that he was using it.

The second spider fell dead at his feet, and he pulled himself onto the vines and climbed up. The monkey ran over to the door as he pulled himself up, and screeched and hopped up and down expectantly. Link jumped in surprise as the slingshot in his hand suddenly burst into a million pieces of dark matter, then vanished.

Fine. Midna could hold onto it for him. Totally fine.

He placed his hands on the cool, stone, circular door in front of him. He pushed it, which didn't do anything, and he couldn't pull it. But he felt it give a little as he moved his hands to the horizontally, so, using an exceptional bit of strength, he rolled it to the side.

Link stepped into the next room, this one bigger, yet also seemingly empty of any enemies. He heard the door roll back into place behind him, and though he did not panic, it was unnerving. It was like the temple wanted him to stay.

Was the forbidden evil thing in this room? The next one? How would he know? He didn't even know what it looked like. He began to feel dizzy, and the task set before him seemed beyond impossible. How had all those people thought he could be a hero? How had he himself expected to act as one?

Because you are one, said something in the back of his mind. Or, if you're not, you can become one.

And it somehow didn't seem so outrageous. He told himself he was wrong, but deep inside him he knew it was true. He was certain of it.

He was a hero.

But only for a moment.

* * * * *  
"Are you done yet? Seriously, at the rate you're going, you won't find the thing I need for years!"

"I'd like to see you try to do this. Oh, crap!"

Midna fused into his shadow, and Link backed away quickly as the bombling exploded, rattling his eardrums. He ran back over to its nest, where a new one would sprout quickly enough, but noticed that in its explosion, it had blown up part of the wall.

There were a few pots in a small little room that had been blocked off before. He turned to pick up another bombling when he heard something. It was a rattling noise, almost like one of the pots was moving. He looked over his shoulder and saw that one of the pots was, in fact, rattling back and forth.

Cautiously, Link approached it, and peeked inside. There was definitely something in there. He picked up the pot, and it broke in his hands, revealing a...

He wasn't sure what it was.

It looked sort of like a cuckoo, but it had the head of a human. With no hair.

"Phew! Out at last!"

Link blinked. It could talk?

"Gracious! Once I got in there, I couldn't squeeze back out!"

Link laughed. "As if I didn't think I was crazy enough before...I'm seeing things now." Midna popped up next to him and frowned.

"No, I see it too."

"You were a big help...thanks. I've been looking for something in here, you see. Gracious, yes! You must need something here, too. Shall we try working together for a while, fellow adventurer?"

"Um...I guess."

"You may not think I look like much, but I can be quite helpful! I can even warp you out of here if you want to leave! So don't think of me as a burden! Now let's get started!"

"Hmm. Yeah, you can come with us. Look at me, Midna. I'm already making friends."

"Color me impressed," she muttered. She disappeared, along with the...the...thing. So having a friend from the twilight did have some benefits. At least he didn't have to carry everything with him.

Well...calling Midna his friend was a bit of a stretch.

Acquaintance.

Link trudged forward through the cave, stopping only to slice through a plant-thing - which the cuckoo informed him was called a Deku Baba. Light flooded around him, but from where, he did not know - he was not outside. The room was a huge pool of water, but branches and rocks and even some wooden platforms were scattered everywhere, allowing him to somewhat easily make his way around.

"How many rooms are in this freaking temple? I just want to find the evil thing and get the heck out." He crossed his arms and scowled, but jumped as he heard the monkey at his feet screech. Farore, he'd forgotten about that thing.

She ran forward and jumped across a few platforms. Link followed suit, until she began cowering and shaking, the way she'd done when she'd seen a monster with the whole lantern fiasco.

"What? Nothing's here."

Something scratched at his back and Link spun around. "Ai!" He'd seen spiders before but...

...That thing was twice his size!

He unsheathed his sword and sliced it at the thing, but it slouched a bit and his sword hit something hard. Spiders had shells? As if its size wasn't enough...

It rose onto its back legs, its fangs bared. Link pulled his shield up, but he was not fast enough - pain rocketed through him as the spider sank its fangs into his chest.

"Dammit!" He stumbled to the ground and gripped his wound. "This is impossible!" He got back up just as the spider rose again. This time, as it collided with his shield, he noticed something. Its stomach was flesh...

It rose a third time, exposing its stomach, and Link jabbed his sword forward. It was stunned, and Link hit it again, and again. It fell onto its back, and Link ran forward.

No hesitation...

His sword impaled its stomach, and it curled up, dead.

"Not bad."

Link spun around. "Do you need something Midna?"

"No. Your shadow is just really uncomfortable."

He sighed. "Sorry to disappoint you. Could you please stay there though? I have enough problems without you yapping."

She rolled her eyes. Link surveyed the room. There was a strange platform to his left with pillars that seemed to have windmill-like things on them. In front of him was a door with a large lock on it. But what Link was really looking for was monsters. There were none in sight, so he began to gather leaves and patches of grass.

"What are you doing?"

Link laid down his gatherings. "Making a bed," he said, exasperated. "What, don't twilight people sleep?"

"You haven't even been awake that long!"

"Let's see. It was daytime when I woke up as a wolf in the twilight. When we got back, it started to turn nighttime. I stayed awake all night finding those tears, then all day trying to find this temple. It was already the middle of the night when I found this place, so it's probably morning by now. I've been awake two whole days! I need sleep!"

She crossed her arms. "Someone's grouchy."

"Yeah. That's what happens when you don't get enough sleep!"

"Then please, be my guest."

Link laid down on the ground. The grass and leaves didn't help much, but at that point he'd be willing to sleep pretty much anywhere. He closed his eyes, and within moments, was dead to the world.


	7. Chapter 7

"Midna, would you shut up for a minute?"

"But you're wasting time! You slept all day long already."

"I was catching up on sleep! Besides, can't you see that the door is locked? How do you expect me to get past?"

"I don't! Why can't you go through the other door?"

Link kicked the ground. "You know what? FINE!" He stormed toward the other side of the room and pushed the door aside. Instantly, his eyes flew up to his face to hide his eyes from the stinging sun. After a moment, his eyes had adjusted, and he was able to see a large stone bridge above a long descent. The problem was...the bridge was sideways.

No sooner had he thought that than a powerful gust of wind nearly took his hat off. He heard a low, rumbling noise and saw the bridge rotating.

What in the name of Nayru...?

The bridge now connected the platform he was on to another platform with a door leading to a new area. He winced. So...Midna had been right. The locked door was probably locked for a reason. No getting past it.

He sighed and stepped onto the bridge. Considering the fact that it was only supported by a thin pole in the center, he stepped carefully across it.

Once he was across, he hurried to the door and walked through. Midna popped up next to him and smirked. "Told y-" She trailed off as they gazed at what was in the dark room.

The same type of sideways bridge was in the room, except there was no wind to move it. In the darkness, there was seemingly nothing else.

It was Link's turn to smirk. "See?"

Midna crossed her arms. "Okay, genius. You're right. Now what?" He rose an eyebrow. "The only other place you can go is locked up. You're stuck." She giggled.

Link opened his mouth to say something, but he stopped. She was right...There was nowhere else to go.

"I guess there's no point staying here," he said. He opened up the door and sunlight poured through into the room. But he was stopped as something glinted in the light that caught his eye, and Link turned back around, the door rolling in place behind him.

It was small. It was heavy and metal in his hand, and was rough to the touch. He couldn't quite see what it was in the darkness, but as he stepped outside his heart skipped a beat.

A key!

Maybe it could unlock the locked door...

But Link turned away from the dark room with unease. He took in a deep breath and closed his eyes for a moment, feeling a small pulse of...of life.

He wasn't sure how he knew it, but he didn't doubt it for a minute. He was certain.

Something powerful lurked nearby.

Something evil.

-  
Midna couldn't resist a giggle. Finally, finally she'd found someone to help her regain her power. And the fact that he was an awakening "chosen hero" was even better. The only problem was...he was sort of dumb.

Of course, he was better than a little toddler or something, but seriously. It had taken him hours to figure out that he was supposed to use the bomblings to kill those man-eating plants blocking his path. Not to mention he'd been in this room for twenty minutes and still hadn't noticed the third door over there.

At this rate, it could take months, or even years to get the Fused Shadows she so longed for. _But_, she thought with a sigh, _it'll be worth it._

_It has to be._

-  
"A third monkey? How many are there?"

The locked door had led him to an outside area where he'd found a second monkey in a cage on a little tower, which he'd rammed into to knock the cage off. In the central room of the temple, with doors leading every which way, but he hadn't been able to get to the east side until the monkey had helped him swing across by hanging upside-down from a rope.

He'd been having a very strange day.

After going through that room with the dumb plant-monsters (even worse than the Deku Babas, even if they couldn't move), he'd come to this room.

It was eerily quiet and empty. There was a broken-down pathway that led to a ledge with a monkey. On the sides of the path were pools of water.

Nothing else.

Yet Link didn't sense any danger. Well - any danger beyond his normal enemies, like Bokoblins and Deku Babas and those giant spiders, which the bird-cuckoo-thing had called Stalfos.

He hurried onto the pathway and toward the monkey, but as he stepped onto one of the tiles, he suddenly felt himself in mid-air. Full of pain.

He landed on the ground with a thud and a moan. "What in the world was that?"

Out of the corner of his eye he saw the tile he'd stepped on fall onto the ground back in place. He sat up with a groan, then looked around. He picked up a stone and threw it at the tile, which suddenly shot up in the air above a now extended...worm.

A giant worm, that is.

How could he get across if all the tiles had worms under them?

He sighed and backed up. If he could run fast enough...

He took off, but his feet had barely touched the tile when he was in the air again, pain rocketing through him, and hard ground slammed beneath him. He pulled himself up, but realized he had landed on more tiles. His first instinct was panic, but the tile he was on didn't seem to be reacting. So, not all the tiles had worms? It was just...guessing?

Wonderful.

Just...

Peachy.

"Dammit!" He ran a finger through his hair.

Midna popped up. "What?"

"This just got, like, ten times more complicated! Some of these tiles have worms under them, but some don't!"

She blinked. "Okay, if you're scared of a few little bugs, we have a problem."

"No! They're giant! They..."

She rose an eyebrow.

"Ugh! Just...Just watch!" He stomped on the tile next to him, and suddenly he was flying through the air in pain.

Him and his damn temper. One of these days, it was going to get him killed.

He heard Midna laughing as he got up, and his face turned red. "See?" he shouted. "They're huge! I can't get past!"

She stifled her laughs to say, "Then go _around _the tiles!"

He sighed. "It's not that simple! I mean..." He ran a finger through his hair again. Midna was right. He could just swim around the tiles to the monkey.

"Unless, of course, you can't swim." She burst into laughter again, and his face grew warmer.

"Be quiet! I can swim!" He laid down his sword and shield, then pulled off his boots and slipped out of his tunic. He was warily aware of Midna's presence, and decided to keep his pants on. He nearly jumped in the water when he remembered his hat. He yanked it off and dove into the disturbingly warm water.

He hadn't gone swimming for a while, so he wasn't surprised when he needed to come up for air so soon. After a few more moments of swimming, he finally arrived at the ledge with the monkey. He pulled himself up, breathing heavily, and Midna giggled. "So you can swim. You're a little out of shape, though. You're panting like a dog!"

Link glared at her. "You know I AM a dog, right?"

"Yeah. Not one of your best traits." She giggled. "Oh well...THAT sort of makes up for it," she said, gesturing to his bare chest, then disappeared. He felt his face grow slightly warm. Did she just say she thought his...bare...er..._torso_...looked..._good_? She just..._complimented _him? Was she flirting with him? Or was he misinterpreting it, and she was making fun of him?

Probably making fun of him.

Still, though, it wasn't really an insult...

Goddesses, why did he even care? Muttering, he hurried over to the monkey and kicked the cage a couple of times, causing it to collapse around the thing. It screeched, then hopped up and looked up at Link expectantly. So it was going to follow him...Of course. He jumped back into the water, the monkey right behind him.

After he'd pulled himself back out, he spent the next ten minutes just pulling his clothes back on. He made a mental note to keep his clothes on should he ever have to swim again in his "adventure."

Speaking of which, how long was this thing going to last? He rolled the door out of the way and hurried past Deku Babas. How long was he going to be gone? He still had to find Ilia. And the kids. Plus, what was everyone else going to think? They probably thought he'd been taken with the others. Which he really should have been...

Why didn't the Boblins take him? Why did they leave him in the spring? He'd never really wondered about it until now. Why _him_? Why was _he _spared? Why did they want Ilia and Colin? They just as easily could have taken him. And everyone seemed to think he was some kind of hero, which would have made him even more valuable to take. Why didn't they take him?

Before he knew it, he was back in the central room with a door leading every direction. He found himself standing on a pillar watching the monkey convincing him to go back they way he'd come.

"Stupid monkey."

Midna jumped out of his shadow. "No. He's actually right. You're just too thick-headed to have noticed the third door in the room we were just in."

He reached for her ponytail and yanked it. It didn't feel like anything was in his hand, but she cried out all the same. She glared at him, then kicked him in the stomach. "You're such an idiot, Link." She fused back into his shadow with a giggle.

He hated her.

-  
"I swear to the gods. Another one?"  
A monkey screech echoed across the room behind a locked door, but his attention was soon directed elsewhere. A giant plant - a GIANT plant - suddenly sprouted in the center of the empty, circular room. It was like a Deku Baba connected to one of the man-eating plants, but about three times as big. It leaned down and swallowed a key that he hadn't even noticed before.

"Dammit! What the hell?"

It lunged at him and knocked him down with its long, pointed teeth. He quickly sprung back up and sliced his sword at it, stunning it. It jeered back to attack again, but he managed to hit it again. It swung at him, but as its head flew past him, he hit it once, then twice, then three times, and it shriveled up into a small, black...thing.

He sighed. That wasn't quite as hard as he expected. There was one slight problem he noticed, though. He still didn't have the key.

It must be in the other plant thing! But how did he kill it? Were there bomblings in the room anywhere? He sighed and walked over to a patch of grass, cutting it down with his sword. He was pretty beat down...he could use a fairy right about now.

Everyone in Ordon knew about fairies' magical properties. They completely healed a wounded person, and could also be stored in bottles. Which, he thought with a smile, I have now. He was lucky enough to spot something shimmering in a nearby pot, which he smashed to reveal a small, eyeball-sized, glowing fairy. Its wings fluttered wildly and it sped toward him, flying around him and then disappearing.

Warmth shot throughout his body and his cuts and bruises disappeared, as well as every sore spot in his body. Even the sharp pang of hunger in his stomach - which he'd barely noticed before - was gone, as well as the slight thirst on his tongue.

He probably should have saved the fairy in his bottle for another time - a more necessary time - but he shrugged. He should be able to find another somewhere in this temple.

Link suddenly heard something behind him...a hissing sound.

Crap...

He broke into a run, and just in time, too...a loud explosion burst behind him and the ground rumbled slightly. A bombling! Perfect. He spun around and ran toward its "nest", picking it up as a new one sprouted. He then eyed the distance he was from the plant and chucked it.

Bullseye! Perfect shot! It landed dead in the center of its mouth, and seconds after it swallowed the bomb, it expanded and blew up with a bang, leaving a shimmering, metallic key.

Link hurried over to it and scooped it up in his hand, continuing toward the newest monkey.

"You know," Link said with a grin, "I should name these things. To help me keep track of them."

Midna was suddenly beside him. "That's the dumbest idea I've ever heard. Name monkeys? How long do you think you're going to be here?"

"Long enough to have to name the monkeys."

She rolled her eyes and disappeared.

Link stepped outside with the four monkeys and stopped in place.

A bridge.

But it was broken.

It was hanging down from the ledge opposite him, flopping in the wind, where he needed to be. Figures it was broken.

Dammit.

Why did things have to be so difficult?

But the monkeys knew what to do. They all hurried forward, and one by one jumped up on the rope above where the bridge should have been, hanging from their feet, reaching out their hands.

Oh, no.

They didn't want him to...

He glanced down at what was below him. An endless fall into nothing. Perfect.

He couldn't stay here forever. But it was extremely dangerous to swing across a rope using monkeys...wasn't it?

Maybe Midna would catch him if he fell...

He shook his head. Fat chance.

He knew it was stupid, and he shouldn't do it. Fear flooded him, but before he knew what he was doing, he was jumping off the edge of the pillar he was on and reaching out, barely grasping onto the first monkey's hands. He used his legs to swing and create momentum, then let go before he could convince himself not to, and managed to grab onto the second monkey.

Farore, what was he _doing_?

He should be paralyzed with fear by now. Most people would be. Yet he felt himself grab onto the third monkey's hands and try not to look down. His heart thudded in his chest, so loudly he was surprised it wasn't echoing across the entire canyon.

And he numbly remembered his hands slipping, and his stomach leaving him as he plummeted through the air, and his feet landing on hard, reassuring ground.

He'd done it.

For the love of the goddesses, what was _wrong _with him?

He could have _died _for Din's sake! He tried standing up, but his legs were shaking too badly.

Midna was suddenly next to him, looking steaming and angry, but also a tad bit concerned. "LINK! What is WRONG with you? You almost _died_! You might be trying to act all _courageous _or whatever, but there's a FINE LINE between being BRAVE and being STUPID."

"I-I...I don't...I d-don't know w-what...what c-came over m-me..." He took in a deep, shaky breath, trying to calm down. "I just...I d-don't know..."

She winced, seeming to look a little apologetic. She slowly placed her hand on his back and patted it awkwardly, trying to soothe him or something. After a few minutes, he had calmed down and was ready to go.

He pushed the door aside, feeling a bit uneasy. But as Link stepped in the room, he felt downright afraid. Something evil was in here...

"Geez, Link, what's wrong? You're all...tense and alert..."

It was screaming in his ears. Something was watching him. He shouldn't be here. He wasn't welcome.

"There's something in here."

"Not really. Just a bunch of tikis."

Link rubbed the back of his head. "No. Something evil is in here. We have to leave." He turned around, but felt his heart sink as he saw a gate blocking the way. It must have fallen there when he closed the door. He was stuck.

He was stuck...

"How would you even know?"

Hairs stood up on the back of his neck. "I...I don't know. But I can feel it. I can...sense it."

"Oh, duh. I keep forgetting." He rose an eyebrow. "What, you haven't figured it out yet? You're a wolf! You have keen senses!"

"Makes sense, I guess," he said. He felt his ears perk - yeah, he definitely was a wolf - as the feeling suddenly grew stronger.

It was right behind him.

His suspicions were proved correct as he turned around to come face-to-face with a monkey. Not like the ones that he'd already found...Those were nice. This one...this one had evil in its eyes.

The monkey pulled out a weapon of some sort, flaunting it in the air. It looked almost like a...a boomerang. But it had a dark aura. The boomerang was evil...

Or was it?

Either way, he was screwed.

As the monkey chucked the boomerang at him yet again, missing him by inches, a memory flashed across Link's mind.

"_What do you think is up there?" Shad asked, throwing the stone and then pointing up._

"_Clouds. The sun. What else would there be?" Link caught the stone and tossed it from hand to hand._

_Shad adjusted his shirt timidly, then caught the stone as Link threw it. "I think there might be something up in the sky...maybe something lives up there...there could be a whole civilization."_

"_Civi...lay...what?" Link wasn't really good with his schoolwork. He caught the stone, then tossed it back._

"_It's like a town or community." Shad caught the stone and looked up. "I don't think all the places on earth have been discovered yet."_

"_I dunno...Then again, I never know. Knowing you, you're probly right."_

_Shad laughed. "I wish I was braver. Then I could find out for myself."_

"_Maybe I can help you," Link suggested._

"_But I have to leave soon, remember? My parents are moving to Hyrule Castle Town in a week." He threw the stone. "That's not nearly enough time."_

"_Hmm..." Link caught the stone and stared up. Maybe something _did _live up there... How could he let them know he and Shad were down _here_? He swung his arm around and threw the stone up as hard as he could. It was going pretty high when it hit a tree branch. The stone hit the ground between them, but the branch was a little slower. Link watched with horror as it whizzed by and landed inches away from Shad._

"_Oh no! Shad, I'm sorry!" But Shad was laughing too hard to hear him. Seeing Shad's happy face made Link laugh too._

"_I wish you never had to leave."_

Link rolled away from yet another attack from the monkey. Damn, he missed Shad. His flaming ginger hair, his timid smile, the way he'd always moon over Ilia but explain to Link that he had no chance...and Ilia would always ask Link if he thought she had a chance with Shad... and Link just sat by watching, thinking the whole predicament was hilarious...That is, until he began to get feelings for Ilia, and the jealously kicked in...

Ilia...

Link had to do something. That monkey had to have some sort of weakness. He noticed as the monkey jumped, that the pillar it landed on rattled a bit before it threw the boomerang. The next time the monkey jumped on a pillar, Link immediately ran toward in and rammed into the tower. The monkey lost its balance and fell on the ground.

Link hurried toward it - now was his chance. He drew his sword and hit it once, then twice, then three times. The monkey soon jumped back up and on another pillar, but now Link knew exactly what to do.

He repeated his actions two more times, until finally the monkey seemed to lose it. It hopped around on the floor crazily, then ran into one of the pillars. As it collapsed on the ground, Link noticed something next to it that he hadn't seen before. It was a little...bug. But hatred and evil burned from it. Link was half tempted to bend down and sniff it thoroughly, but...

That was gross.

He'd been a wolf too long.

The bug was dead by now, though. The monkey got up, shook its head, and began to panic. As it jumped through a small opening high on the wall it looked back at Link, and seemed to look apologetic.

Midna flew next to him. "I bet even the monkeys should be satisfied now. OK, let's continue combing this place. We already found something good, so let's keep searching places we haven't looked yet."

"Aye aye, cap'n." Link turned around. Dammit - the door was still barred! He pulled on the wooden gate but it wouldn't budge.

"Need help there?"

"I can figure it out on my own, Midna. I'm not a little kid!"

"Well, you sure act like one," she retorted, crossing her arms.

"Well, _Mom_, how about you tell me what I should do?"

"You're supposed to...um...you just have to..." She bit her lip.

He smirked. "Exactly."

They both cried out in surprise as a sound like wind blowing suddenly rushed past their ears. "What is that?"

Link glanced over to the source and saw that the boomerang was...well, it was glowing. But it didn't seem to be evil...

He cautiously approached it, and it rose into the air, spinning around. "I am the Fairy of Winds who resides in this boomerang," someone spoke. The...the boomerang could talk? "You have freed me from evil, and I now have my true power back."

"Er...you're...welcome?"

"Please...Take it with you, use it to aid your quest, and may both my power and my blessing go with you. If you focus power in your boomerang before releasing it, it will unleash the power of the wind, aiding you in unforeseen ways."

"...Thank you..."

It suddenly took off, spinning around the room. It was headed toward Link and he caught it swiftly in his hand. He held it up and fingered it. It was light and curved, with golden accents around the bottom tip and the center of the bend. He crouched, his arm poised back, and chucked it. White dazzling light and leaf-like things protruded around it as it circled around the room and then flew back to him.

He felt powerful with it in his hand.

He glanced back at the door. He was still stuck...He stared hard at the door, then decided to look around the room for clues. It took half a second for him to notice something above the door...Little spokes on a wheel or fan stuck out. It must be able to rotate...But how could he move them when he wasn't tall enough...?

Duh.

_Duh_.

Link quickly pulled out his boomerang, took aim, and threw it. It sped toward the fan, barely brushing it as it turned back around and threw itself in his hand. The fan was spinning, and the gate barring the door rattled. It moved up an inch, then stopped.

It didn't work...

Wait...

Maybe if he did it again...

He shot the boomerang at the fan again, and the gate rattled and moved up another inch.

Dammit, it was going to take forever!

He threw the boomerang in anger, then the second it was back in his hand he chucked it again, and again, and finally the gate rattled one last time and was out of sight.

"Oh, thank the gods. Finally."

Link settled the boomerang behind his shield, where it fit perfectly in the straps without falling out. He hurried to the door and pushed it out of the way reluctantly. He wasn't sure he wanted to leave.

Because he could tell something much worse was waiting for him.

It was only a matter of time before he had to face it.

-  
Link laughed out loud. "Another one?"

"Well, I guess there are still some monkeys you haven't freed yet!"

"I guess so."

He held his hand to his forehead to keep sunlight out of his eyes as he looked up at the swinging cage. "How am I supposed to get that thing down?"

Midna giggled.

"Don't."

He pulled out his boomerang from behind his back and swung it at the string supporting the cage. It broke in a second and the cage collapsed on the ground. The monkey hopped up and jumped around Link, urging him to follow it.

"At this point, you should just save them all and see what you can get for it!"

"Well, I have nothing to lose." The monkey, impatient, jumped onto Link's shoulders and screeched in his ear, coating it in saliva. "Except my dignity," he muttered as Midna stifled her giggles.

"Alright, alright, I'll follow you," Link said, pulling the monkey off of him. "Show me the way."

It scampered off in the direction he'd come, but instead of going back into the room he'd come from, he headed back into the rest of the temple. After a little ways of walking, he entered the room with those worm-things under the tiles.

"Great, not again." He really didn't feel like undressing in front of Midna again. But he was suddenly struck with inspiration. Maybe, if he could somehow rip the tiles out...

He yanked out his boomerang and watched as it cut through the air and lifted the tiles out of their places. Quite a few had worms under them, but not all. They shriveled and died as soon as they were taken out of the ground.

"Thanks," he muttered, gripping the boomerang.

As Link passed the area he'd seen before in the room he slept in, he noticed something. Those pillars...they had propellers on the top. They could spin! His boomerang could spin them!

"How about that," he said, pulling it out. He flung it at one, and it circled around, hitting the other three. But the gate that blocked him from a chest of some sort didn't budge. He stared up at them and at the gate, when it occurred to him that there might be hints around somewhere, on the walls or the floor.

He glanced at the floor and immediately got his answer. There was a zig-zag pathway between each of the towers. How could he make his boomerang do that?

Wait. The Great Fairy or whatever that was in his boomerang could control the boomerang on its own, right? Maybe he just had to...summon her.

Twenty minutes later proved it seemingly impossible.

"Maybe..."

He pointed the boomerang at the first tower, one eye closed for accuracy. Then he quickly turned it and pointed it toward the second tower for a few seconds. He then aimed it at the third, and then the fourth. He then chucked it hopefully. Maybe she would understand...

His eyes were closed, but he heard rattling. He opened his eyes and saw the gate was open! He threw his fist in the air and laughed._ See, Midna_, he thought, _I'm not so stupid after all_. He proceeded to the chest and shoved it open. Inside was a key...but not like some of the others he'd found in this temple. This key was much larger and much more decorative. It must open something important.

Like the room with the evil shard of forbidden power.

Link shivered at the thought. He really didn't want to fight anything to get it, but his instincts told him he was going to have to. And if he was a wolf, there was only a slim chance his instincts were wrong.

But his fear receded quickly. He was still afraid, but his drive to defeat it was more powerful.

With the key in his hand he took off in search of more monkeys, who would hopefully lead him to wherever he needed to be.

After a few minutes, he found himself in that room he'd found earlier. It was dark, with a bridge that could not rotate because there was no wind.

Except now he had wind.

Right in his hand.

Link pulled out his boomerang. "This thing is really useful."

He chucked it, and the bridge slowly turned toward him. After he headed across and into the room it led to, his mind clicked.

There was a door opposite him on far side of this room. On a large tree to his left, there were eight platforms. Five of them had monkeys on them. So he to find three monkeys somewhere in this temple to help him get to the room with the evil shard of magic that this shadow-imp person wanted, so that she would take him back into the spreading twilight to find his kidnapped friends.

...Sweet merciful Din...

...His life was messed up.

"Okay, that's the last monkey," he said, entering the darkened room once again. "What now?"

"Watch, dummy," Midna hissed, pointing to the monkeys. They were one by one jumping of their pillars. Link watched in horror as he saw them jumping onto a rope leading across two poles, one on his platform, and one on the other side with the room.

The monkeys held onto each other and formed one long line, like a rope. The first monkey began rocking back and forth, causing them all to swing, and Link knew instantly what he was supposed to do.

He had to swing across.

It was just like getting to the evil monkey...

But on a much larger scale.

Midna looked at him. "Are you ready to do this? You're looking for something evil, after all.

Which means you'll probably have to fight."

Link fingered the bottle with a fairy in it, sheathed his sword and nodded.

"I'm ready."

He took off running and leapt off the edge, firmly grabbing onto the monkey's hands. He tried not to look down as his stomach left him and he was in the air. Raw fear struck through him, and he felt light headed as his situation struck him. His fingers slipped from the orangutan's, and he plummeted through the air.

Did he miss the ledge?

His feet should have hit the ground by now.

Sweet merciful Din, he -

His feet struck ground.

Through his closed eyes and numb mind, Link came to a conclusion - he was terrified of heights.


	8. Chapter 8

When Link stepped past the huge door that rolled into place behind him, his hands instantly flew up to his head. Something was pounding in his skull, a strong, terrifying feeling. He barely had time to take in his surroundings - a large pool of violet water, a few bomblings, a large central tree, and two window-type things high up on either side of the walls - when a loud noise stunned him.

When Link opened his eyes he saw that two humungous monsters - they looked almost like Deku Babas, five times as tall as him- had risen out of the water, looking ready to kill.

He drew his sword out of habit, but realized there was no way he could strike them. They were enormous! No sooner had he decided that they were no threat to him, the one on his right lashed forward at him, shoving him painfully to the ground.

"How in the world am I supposed to kill those things?" he muttered. He pulled out his boomerang and stared at it. "Maybe I'm supposed to use this."

Link looked around, desperately jumping out of the way as the monsters lunged at him. What could he use to kill them? His boomerang couldn't do any damage...But what if it could carry something?

But what?

Link gripped the boomerang in his hand and sighed. It was worth a try.

He got an angle on one of them and he threw the boomerang at it. It struck the monster, but nothing happened, and it came flying back. On the way back, however, it ran into a bombling, and lifted the explosive into the air as it continued flying.

Link blinked.

Of course!

He tossed the bomb away as it landed in his hands, then grabbed the boomerang. If he could just...

He pointed it at a bombling, long and hard, then pointed it at the monster on his right. He threw the boomerang randomly as the left Deku Baba threw itself at him, crushing him into the ground. Link moaned and got up, clutching his side, to see that the Deku Baba had swallowed the bomb, and was now rupturing from the inside. It sank into the water and disappeared.

"Oh, thank Din..."

He caught his boomerang, then aimed it at a bombling, then the remaining Deku Baba. He threw it, and the monster began to sink. He caught his boomerang, but did not relax. That was too easy... That was far too easy.

There was more.

There was definitely something else in there.

Link stood firmly, waiting and listening. After a moment he noticed the water was bubbling in three certain places. His instincts told him to back away from the water, but something kept him right where he was.

It was silent.

Then...

A ferocious roar and an immense splash of water pounded in his ears, and a giant plant, almost like those Deku Baba monsters, but much larger and fiercer, rose suddenly from the water. Link gripped his sword tighter in his hand as it flung itself right into Link's face and opened its mouth and made a sound almost like screaming. So loud was it that for a moment after that Link couldn't hear anything.

What he remembered was its tongue, a long skinny thing with something on the end that looked almost like an eyeball. Link also noticed before long that there were two more of the Deku

Baba monsters that had been there before.

And one more thing.

That giant monster had scared away all the bomblings.

He was screwed.

A noise like a screech reached his ears. He glanced at the source, then did a double-take.

It was that monkey that he'd fought earlier! It jumped from the perch it was on, then swung himself onto the string connecting the two windows. He easily glided across to the other side, and when his face peeked out, Link noticed something in its hands.

A bombling.

He grabbed the bombling with his feet and glided across the other way. Then back again. Link picked up on the rhythm and pointed his boomerang intently at it. He then quickly moved his aim to the giant Deku Baba, and then back at the monkey. He threw it, and somehow the boomerang understood. It lifted the bomb and carried it over to the giant monster.

It didn't swallow the bomb, but the explosion stunned it. It toppled over and its head collapsed on the ground by his feet. Its mouth was open wide, and Link took aim at its tongue.

A few well-placed hits later, and the monster was up again, looking fiercer than ever. Before Link could react, its mouth was open, and its tongue sprayed out a large quantity of some sort of liquid - like the purple water. He dodged it for the most part, but it managed to spray him a bit in his right arm.

Within seconds, the wet arm began to feel numb and strange. After a moment, his arm fell completely limp. He couldn't use it.

At least he was left-handed.

One of the smaller monsters swiped at him, and Link scurried out of the way. It managed to grab onto his leg, and pain shot through him.

"Agh! Dammit!" He pulled himself up with his good arm, and rested his weight on his right leg. He picked up his boomerang and aimed it at the moving bombling, then at the monster, then at the bombling again. He threw it and jumped out of the way as the other Deku Baba monster threw itself at him.

Pain slapped him in the face as he tumbled to the ground, but he sighed with relief as the monster collapsed on the ground once again, its mouth wide open. Link hurried to it and realized suddenly what he had to do. He backed up, unsheathing his sword, then leapt through the air.

No hesitation.

His sword punctured the monster's weak spot, and it flung itself into the air in pain. It flailed around, wailing, then began to shrivel up. It one quick motion, it burst in a fit of twilight matter.

He'd done it.

The air all around him cleared, and the water turned from sick purple to clear, clean blue. Link's heart slowed down and that uneasy feeling of fear was lowered considerably. It was still there, but the presence did not take up the whole room as it did before. It was compressed into one small thing.

Which he realized was floating in front of him.

It looked like it was a part of Midna's helmet - the same color, same shape, same intricate design, same old age.

"Eee hee hee! Well done!"

Speaking of Midna...

"That's...what I was looking for." She grabbed it with her ponytail. "That's a Fused Shadow. It's what the light spirit called dark power...Do you remember what that spirit said? About how you had to match the power of the king of shadows?"

"Assuming I'm the 'Chosen Hero,'" Link muttered bitterly. "I seriously doubt I can do that, but I guess I can try. Yeah. I remember."

"Could it really be so easy?" she asked, staring at the Fused Shadow. "Is this all there is to it?Eee hee hee!

There's a total of three Fused Shadows," she continued. "I think the other light spirits have the rest..."

"So no more fighting? Or temples?"

"Perhaps not," she said. "But you'll still have to clear out the rest of the twilight to talk to them." So he'd have to be a wolf again...Once again, the twilight business caught up to him. He had to do everyone else's jobs of clearing it away. Anger boiled inside him, but through all this, only one question came to mind. "So what exactly are Fused Shadows?"

She giggled. "Maybe I'll tell you if you find the other two. I guess you'd better do your best to find them, huh? Eee hee hee!" The Fused Shadow disappeared as she wound her ponytail back to her. "So let's not waste anymore time here when we could be looking for the other two. I'll get you out of here."

She pointed at the ground, and suddenly a portal formed where she'd pointed to. "Are you all done here?"

Link looked around, realizing in the week he'd spent there that he would almost... miss this place. But a world was waiting for him to save it. Whether or not he was the Chosen Hero, he now had a duty to the world.

Because the _real _Chosen Hero sure as hell wouldn't be coming to save the world any time soon.

Link never thought he'd be so happy to smell fresh air or see sunlight. Midna had transported him somehow to Faron spring. His knees collapsed beneath him and he drank fresh water from the spring. He pulled his hat off, intending to bathe himself, but a voice stopped him.

"Heroic Link..."

The spring's spirit...

"Do not think that Hyrule is now saved from the spread of twilight...Leave these woods and go to the west, where you will find the land protected by the spirit Eldin."

"Go further than Faron Woods? But aren't the Hyrule fields supposed to be really... dangerous?"

Midna crossed her arms. "You just killed a giant, deadly plant-monster. I think you can handle a few birds and goblins."

"Fine. Can I at least go home first?"

"What for?"

"Gee, I don't know, Midna. To let my friends know I'm all right? To get some food, and some sleep? To wash these clothes," he said, gesturing to the hat in his hands, "that haven't been washed since I started wearing them?"

Midna rolled her eyes.

"You must go to the land protected by Eldin," the spirit continued. "There you will find those you seek..."

"Those I seek?" Link asked. His eyes suddenly widened. "You mean Ilia? And Colin? And the kids? They're alive? Oh, Faron, thank you! Thank you!"

"Still want to take a nap?" Midna asked. Link shoved her playfully in the arm.

"But know that these lands lie in twilight...They are now a dark realm covered by the clouds of dusk."

"Right...Back into a wolf...great."

"Yes...If you set foot beyond the curtain of twilight, you will revert to your beast form, so be prepared.

"Hero chosen by the gods - though you deny that title, the world depends on you to accept this - leave these woods and go west, to the land of the spirit Eldin."

Link sighed. More hero stuff. "Yeah, okay. But I do need some food first."

The spirit's voice faded. "Make haste..."

Midna giggled. "Go ahead and take your bath, eat your food, whatever. I'll see you later!" She disappeared into his shadow.

Feeling the sun beat down on his face, he pulled his suffocating shirt off and felt cool air on his bare skin. He pulled off his gloves, then his boots, then the rest of his clothes, and tossed them all into the spring. He didn't know the first thing about laundry - the women in town were usually responsible for that - but he figured that a few minutes in water would help at least a little.

He stepped into the refreshing water, his bare skin and wounds soothed by the cooling water. He closed his eyes, held his breath, and dipped under the water, letting the liquid run through his hair, clearing away dirt and sweat and anything else that was there. He rubbed his skin, cleaning off anything that had found its way on him. It felt so good to be clean and refreshed.

He reluctantly pulled himself out from the water and laid out his clothes, letting them dry. He knew he shouldn't waste any time, but he felt his eyelids growing heavy, and he laid down in the grass. It didn't take long for his thoughts to stray and mingle into his dreams.

_They were standing in Ordon Spring. Ilia crossed her arms. "I'm not worried about Epona, you meathead...I'm worried about YOU."_

_Link poked her in the stomach, but she grabbed his finger. He tried to twist it free but she held firmly, so instead he poked her with his other hand. She giggled and blocked her stomach with her arms. They began to relax, and Ilia said, "Listen, Link...Could you do something for me?"_

"_Anything," he said._

"_Follow me."_

_Ilia broke into a run, catching Link off guard. "Ilia, wait up!"_

_She just giggled._

_It wasn't long before they were in Faron Woods. He knew these woods well, but...something seemed different._

"_Ilia, please!"_

_She stopped, suddenly, and Link followed her gaze. A huge castle was in front of them - Hyrule Castle. It was grand and enormous - bigger than all of Ordon Village. He looked back at Ilia, but she was gone._

"_Ilia? Farore, where are you?"_

_He heard someone walk up behind him, and he spun around. Zelda stood there, her deep sapphire eyes searching his. Link blinked as something began to happen to her face, like it was morphing into something else. "It is coming," she whispered as her blond hair shortened and her crown and dress disappeared. Link realized he was now looking in a mirror, staring at himself._

_Suddenly, a searing pain hit him. It tore at him from all sides and ripped him apart, and he tumbled to the ground. He saw something like fur before his attention was directed to a man, who looked overwhelmingly familiar. He smiled wolfishly down at him as he raised the sword in his hand, then sliced it through Link's stomach._

Link sat up panting, a hand flying to his stomach where the sword was. Or, where it would have been. He forced himself to slow his breathing.

Damned dream.

"Good, you're awake! Let's get going!"

Link jumped. "Farore, Midna." His face grew hot as he suddenly remembering that he wasn't wearing clothes.. "Can I put some clothes on first?" he asked, fidgeting.

She smirked. "Go ahead."

"Could I, I don't know, have some privacy?"

She rolled her eyes and disappeared into his shadow. Link mumbled angrily to himself as he pulled his pants on, then slipped his tunic over his torso. He pulled his boots on, slipped his arms in his gloves and grabbed his hat as he hurried over to a patch of grass. He picked it and blew into it, hearing Epona's favorite high, sweet melody.

But the anticipated _click-clack-click-clack _of Epona nearing did not come. Link glanced around, suddenly feeling panicked. "Epona?" Hadn't she been there when Ilia and Colin were captured? Oh, Farore...Epona was gone, too.

Sadness swelled through him. Epona was his horse. His pet who'd been there for him every day. He could remember the day when he was ten when Fado had declared Epona his horse. It just seemed ridiculous that she was captured.

Reluctantly, Link turned away from the grass. Now it would take twice as long to reach Eldin as it would have with Epona. Nevertheless, he began walking deeper into Faron woods.

Part of him thought about turning around and going back to Ordon, seeing Mayor Bo and Sera and Hanch and Uli and Rusl, and Jaggle, but he decided against it. If he went back, they would never let him leave. And beside that, he might never bring himself to leave. Despite how hungry and homesick he was, he continued on.

Link fingered his boomerang and threw it without thinking, just wanting to pass the time and distract himself. It flew back to him and he caught it easily.

He was actually hoping he'd run into a monster, because he really just needed something to do.

After fifteen or so minutes, he finally said timidly, "Hey...Midna...?"

She flew out of his shadow, her arms crossed. "What's the problem? You too tired? Scared of a bug?"

"I was wondering if you wanted to... you know... talk."

She blinked.

"It's just...I haven't talked to anyone for days, except you... But most of the time it was complaining or arguing. I dunno, I guess I'm just... lonely...?"

"Okay..." she said slowly. "So...what do you want to...talk about?

"Um..." He paused, thinking for a moment, then looked up at her and grinned. "Nice weather we're having."

She rolled her eyes, but Link saw the smile that played on her lips. At that precise moment, a deafening crack of thunder sounded around them, stopping them in their tracks. They looked at each other for a minute, then burst into laughter as it began to rain.

They spotted the strange man with the lantern oil up ahead, which meant Midna had to hide. "Great conversation," she said sarcastically, placing a hand on his shoulder for a minute, then fusing into Link's shadow.

"Hey, uh...Lantern Guy," Link called out, waving his hand in greeting. "You know, I never learned your name."

"Oh, hey Ordonian! I'm fine with you callin' me Lantern Guy. As long as I can keep callin' you the Ordonian."

Link smirked. "Sure." He looked around. "Say, you wouldn't happen to know where I can get to Eldin Province from here, would you?"

"You're headed to Eldin? You'd better be real prepared. Hyrule Field is dangerous, especially at night."

"Yeah, I know." He pulled out his sword, showing it off. "I'm ready. Well," he added as an afterthought, "I could use a hot meal, but I'll make due."

"Eh...All right. Through that gate right over there," he said, pointing to a gate across from the cave. Link thanked him and began heading toward it, but he stopped him. "You know what, guy? Let me get you something to eat."

Normally Link would have protested, insisting that he really didn't have to, that he would be fine, but he was just so damn hungry...all he could do was stand there, his mouth watering at the thought of sinking his teeth into something edible.

The Lantern Guy returned from wherever he had gone to with a small sack. "It's not much, and it sure as hell isn't hot, but it's better than nothing."

Link eagerly took the bag and reached inside. He grabbed something and bit into it, not knowing what it was but also not caring. It was sweet and very ripe, making it soft. In seconds he had eaten all of it except for the stem and the pit. "Thank you so much," he said, licking his fingers. "It means a lot."

"There's also some bread in there," he said. "Stale, but edible."

"I owe you," Link said, heading toward the gate. "Thanks again!" Once he was sure the Lantern Guy couldn't see him, he said, "Midna!"

"You wanna talk?"

"Sure," he said, grinning. "But I was actually hoping you could hold onto something for me." He held out the bag, and Link watched as Midna's eyes grew wide and filled with longing. "You can have some if you want. I have to save some though, at least until we get to Castle Town where I can buy some food."

She pulled a fistful of bread out of the bag, then pointed her finger at the sack, causing it to disappear. "Why don't you just get some food from your little town?"

"I...I'm just...sort of afraid..."

"What's there to be scared of? Are you bullied or something?"

"No, no. I'm worried that if my family and friends see me again, then...they won't let me go."

"That's absurd."

"I'm still a kid," he said. "I'm only seventeen. If all the other kids are missing, they don't want to risk losing me too. Besides...I...I've never really traveled outside my town for long before. I'm worried that I'll...you know...want to stay."

He looked back at Midna and saw her eyes were soft and sad. "Are you okay?"

She smiled. "Yeah. I'm just..." she sighed. "I can relate, is all."

"You're from the twilight, right?" She nodded. "Is the twilight only in this world? You know, the stuff that's taking over? Or is there, like, somewhere else it is?"

She shrugged. "Yes and no. Yes, there is another place where it is. But it's also in a way part of this world. It's like a...a flipside of the light world. It's hard to explain, but..." She smiled. "Don't worry about it."

"So is that what you need the Fused Shadows for? To, you know, get back to your world?"

"Link, you ask way too many questions," she said, flicking him in the ear.

"Wow. Way to ruin a moment, Midna." They laughed, and Link looked ahead of him as the trees thinned and there was a huge opening ahead of them.

It was a wide, clear field filled with grass and pools of water, open skies everywhere. It was magnificent and amazing, and even as two Bokoblins closed in on him, he could barely keep his eyes away from the view. It was the largest thing he'd ever seen.

In the distance he saw something dark, darker than a cloudy night sky, more intimidating than his nightmares.

Twilight.

Despite the utter silence around him, under the bright sunlight - the rain had stopped by now - he was in a noisy, alive place. Hyrule Field filled him with an adrenaline that he'd never felt before. He felt like he could take on the world. He felt determined and refreshed.

He felt alive.

"Link, you look..."

There was something new in his eyes. Midna could see it. He looked wilder, braver, stronger...

"It's like I've been dreaming my whole life," he mumbled, closing his eyes and taking in a deep breath of the clear air. "And I just woke up."

She spoke, interrupting his thoughts. "Well, how about you put that energy to good use, and get going." Dammit. She actually felt _bad _saying that. She'd grown too attached to the boy. He had better get those Fused Shadows soon or they might even become...friends.

But now he was on the move. She watched as he spun around and jumped and whooped and broke into a run, looking freer and happier than she'd ever seen him. He ran right by creatures and monsters, and jumped into the river, splashing water all over her. He then scaled the wall of the small ledge he'd jumped off of and ran toward the wall of twilight.

She snickered, unsure what to think. "Someone's excited," she said over his laughing and whooping. As they continued on, it began getting darker, as if turning nighttime, and Link slowed and calmed down, though the new light in his eyes remained.

They neared the wall of twilight, and Link looked at her. "Hey, it was much closer than I thought," she said. "You remember this, right? You know what this is?"

"Of course. How could I forget? It was horrible."

"If you set foot in there, you might be a wolf again for-" She refrained from saying "forever." Instead, she finished with "For quite some time. For at least as long as it takes for you to save the light of Eldin from the twilight, anyway. So, shall we try to go see the light spirit of Eldin?"

He smiled, a cross between excitement and mischief, and it was sort of disturbing. "Let's go," he said determinedly.

Midna flew past the twilight wall easily, slipping from uncomfortable light to soothing twilight. She then felt her twilight magic channeling to her ponytail, which extended through the twilight wall. It grabbed something solid, and pulled Link through. She winced, as it looked pretty painful. He screamed as fur spread on his body and his bones morphed, and then he collapsed. He was out, but he should wake up soon.

And, as always, he would wake up to what might as well have been his Hell.

When Link woke up, he instantly got the feeling that he was being watched.

Something could grab him at any minute...It wasn't death he was afraid of, but... He wasn't quite sure what he was afraid of.

But something was definitely watching him.

He opened his eyes, aware that his vision was slightly morphed, partly due to twilight, and partly due to his wolf features. He looked down at his hands - well, paws - and sighed. He was a wolf again, but in a way, it was cool. He felt powerful. And it almost felt like he was at home in the twilight, at least to some extent. Because instead of being totally surrounded by fear - a spirit knowing something was desperately wrong but not knowing what - he was a beast, still intimidated by a nameless fear, but not so overwhelmingly.

Once again, he felt the eerie pressure that something was watching him, waiting for the perfect moment to...

To what?

What could it possibly do to him that was so horrible?

Watching him...

Waiting...

Silently . . .

Something moved beside him, and Link jumped into a standing position. He wasn't quite used to his new limbs, and he nearly toppled over. "Midna?" he whispered, but instead it came out as a low, quiet whine. Yeah...that's right...he was a wolf.

But nothing was there.

Nothing at all.

He had to get moving.

"Ah, you're awake." Midna popped up next to him, and she was no longer a shadow. Color had returned to her silver helmet, red ponytail, and black-and-white skin. "Took you a little less time to wake up than last time." She hopped on his back, and he did not protest. "That's a good boy! Now, you need to listen to what I saw from now on! Ahh, look! How lovely! The black clouds of twilight are so fetching today..."

As if.

"I feel so much more at ease here...And you look so much better like this than in those dusty old clothes, anyway. Eee hee hee!"

Well, it made sense. Twilight was her world, just like light was his world. She felt here like he felt in his world. Couldn't really blame her.

"Let's get going!"

All that was ahead of him was a long, thin trail surrounded by trees and rocks too thick and large to maneuver around. He walked ahead a little ways, then spotted something interesting sitting plainly in the middle of the trail. At first he didn't know what it was, but then he saw that it was a broken stick, that looked almost like a...

...A wooden sword.

Talo's wooden sword.

He bent down and sniffed it deeply, closing his eyes and feeling it in his nose. It smelled just like Talo. And Malo and Colin and Beth, for that matter.

Oh, goddesses...

He was shaking with anticipation. His friends... he was so close to his friends...

"See, isn't being a wolf more convenient? Now, hone your senses and follow the smell! You've begun to reawaken as a wolf, I think."

Link sniffed the air, then smelled something quite similar to the kids ahead of him. His nose hit the ground and the trail of the familiar scent led him forward. He didn't even bother to look around, he was so determined to find his friends. Which is why he wasn't expecting to run into a wall made of twilight matter that seemed to repel him backwards.

No... Dammit. It was those shadow beasts again, the ones that left the portal-things in the sky.

He bared his fangs and taunted them, getting them to all get closer to him. Midna then created a field of energy around them, and Link managed to slash his claws and bite into them all at the same time. Okay - so being a wolf did have some benefits.

The beasts dissolved into twilight matter, which shot up into the sky where a portal was. Link glanced ahead of him and was thankful he hadn't taken another step forward. He was on the edge of a cliff, but he was standing on wood. It was almost like there was supposed to be a bridge there, but it was missing.

"What's this? That's strange..." Midna said from his back. "The bridge is gone..."

Link barked in agreement.

"I wonder if this is the work of those shadow creatures... Ugh... What a pain!"

She tapped her chin. "Ah well, let's look for it. Whenever you destroy those creatures from the darkness, a portal opens." She pointed up at the portal they'd left. "You hear me? It's called a portal. You'd better remember that! And... in those woods we came through..."

Faron Woods...

"Yes! It's got to be around there...I'll use my power to take you to the location of the open portal... Pick where you want to go."

"But I can't talk!" Link complained, and it came out a high-pitched bark.

"That's what you think. But not all the twilight creatures can talk, and I can understand all of them. I can understand you too."

Link blinked. "That's...interesting."

Midna giggled. "I can't understand every single word you say, just the general idea. But only in the twilight, when my powers are the strongest."

"So... How am I supposed to know where all the portals are?" he barked. This was just strange.

"Basically, you just tell me where you want to go, and I'll warp you to the portal closest to that area."

"OK...Let's try...You said it's in Faron Woods, right? Let's try there."

"Northern or southern? Honestly I can't remember."

Something clicked in the back of his mind. He could remember seeing a bridge on its side in Faron Woods...Near the temple entrance... "Northern! It's got to be northern Faron Woods."

"All right. We'll see."

Link felt a strange sensation, but it was also slightly familiar... Like he was being crushed and stretched out at the same time, but it did not hurt...He was rising in the air, but just as quickly, he was floating down to the ground. His environment was different - Sweet Din, it was Northern Faron! Farore, he'd been... warped!

And he wasn't in twilight anymore. It was brighter and happier, despite it being night time. His shadow suddenly disappeared as Midna floated up next to him. Oh...Right. She wasn't on his back anymore.

"See! I told you. We're here!" she said, and Link barked in agreement. It was amazing! Traveling from one place to another so easily, so quickly... OK, so twilight wasn't _all _bad.

"You know, most people can't leave the twilight that easily. You'd better be grateful!

"It's your job to look for the bridge," she continued, "so look hard!"

"It's not that hard to find," he barked, but realized that, of course, she couldn't understand. She wasn't in twilight. The large, sideways bridge lay against the wall of rocks to his right. "There it is," he barked.

Midna giggled. "Wow! It's perfect, don't you think?"

Sure.

"What do you think? Should we take it?"

Link barked and nodded. It must look pretty odd to see a wolf nodding, but he didn't have much other choice if he had to communicate with Midna. Once again he felt that odd sensation of being dissolved and rising into the sky, then there was blankness, and then he was falling again. And he went from a comfortable warmth to a horrible feeling of dread and panic.

She'd already warped the bridge in place, and he landed on it. At first he panicked, wondering if the bridge would be stable, but when it did not give as he landed on it, he figured it safe enough.

"See! Just as I thought..." She giggled. "So, isn't the power of twilight amazing? Call me if you need the power again. It should help you find what we're looking for, don't you think?"

"What do you mean?" It came out a bark, and though he knew Midna understood, she pretended not to.

"All right! Let's keep going!"

Link continued onward, looking around rather than keeping his nose glued to the ground, though he did sniff around occasionally to make sure he was on the right track. Nothing was abnormal about the area, just that it was open and grassy and had plenty of trees, and as he looked around he felt a rush of adrenaline and determination.

There was an off-course path path leading to his right, but he followed his nose, which led him away. He'd have to come back there sometime to see where it led.

Eventually, Link came across a gate.

"Huh..." Midna commented. "This is a pretty elaborate gate...What are they trying to keep in? ...Or out?"

It was locked shut, but the dirt around it was soft, and he was able to dig underneath it. Shaking the dirt off him, he followed the narrow pathway, dreading what was waiting for him.


	9. Chapter 9

Author's Note:

Oh my gosh, guys! Thank you SOOOOOO much for all your wonderful reviews! And there are, what, like 15 of you following this? Thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you! I love you guys! You have no idea how much it means to me when I check my email and see that someone else is following this or that I got another review. THANK YOU! :)

On another note, I'm really sorry. I took FOREVER to upload this. I've just been sooo busy (lazy). Unfortunately for you all, it'll probably take even longer to upload the next chapter. I just haven't really been in a "Zelda" mood ever since my friend got me obsessed with Hetalia (the best anime EVER. Seriously. Look it up). Not to mention that the Goron mines are my least favorite place in the game. -.- Hang in there, though! Soon we'll be DONE with the Goron stuff and there is some pretty interesting stuff that happens before the water temple ;)

One more thing – I'm adding a character. And he's actually a really important character. But, I just thought while planning this out that Link needed a buddy! I mean, there's Midna but he needs a guy friend. So I hope you don't hate him or anything. I'm trying to make him a lot different than Link but they get along anyway.

Alright, enough talking. Let's get to the story!

No way.

Was that...?

"Cripes!" someone said through the window. "How the heck and I supposed to babysit someone else's little brats when I oughta be savin' myself?"

Someone else's...little brats...

Like, someone else's kids?

So it was!

It _was_!

"COLIN! BETH! TA-" He was cut off as he realized he was barking instead of speaking. There they were! Right in this building!

The path he'd followed had led him to an abandoned town. It was like a long road with houses in a line on either side, but they were all empty. Or so he'd thought. After fighting a few shadow beasts to open up a portal, he'd glimpsed something, like a spirit's glow, in a house nearby. He'd walked in the large spring to his left and talked to the spirit impatiently, then headed straight to the house once he'd gotten the Light Vessel.

And in it was Colin, and Beth, and Talo, and Malo, and some other people he didn't know.

Wait, but...

Where was Ilia?

Damn...Ilia wasn't there! Did that mean she had... Was she...?

He shook his head, refusing to let the thought cross his mind. He had to find a way into that building. He had to save the kids! Oh, Farore, the kids were okay! They were okay!

He ran around the building in excitement, looking for a way in. He saw nothing, but continued running until Midna stopped him with a giggle. "Hey, you can climb up here!" she said, pointing up to a tree branch near the building. He nodded, and she flew up to the tree branch, her ponytail flicking around. Link lunged at it, but she dissolved out of the way just in time and onto the roof. Her ponytail was more tempting than ever. He jumped at her again, landing smoothly on the roof.

OK. Now he just had to get from the roof to the inside of the building somehow.

Dammit.

He walked forward a bit, then cried out as the ground crumbled beneath him and he began falling. Ah! Dammit! A hole in the damned roof! He forced his heart to slow down. Sweet merciful Din, if he was this afraid of heights, should the whole world really be depending on him? He looked up from where he landed, seeing a mere few feet between him and the ceiling.

Well, at least he'd gotten in.

His senses flared, and the spirits turned into people. Colin, Talo, Malo, and Beth were all hunched in a corner, along with two kids he'd never seen before - a boy about his age, and girl about Beth's age - and a man. He ran over to them, but he passed right through them as though they weren't solid. As though he weren't solid.

"Cripes!" someone called from behind him. Link turned to see a middle-aged man with glasses and red hair looking out a window. "I don't see those black brutes anywhere..."

Did he mean the shadow beasts? Is that what they were scared of? He'd killed them...

"They've gotta be hidin' somewhere, waitin' for their helpless little prey to come out! Then they'll FEAST!"

The kids' eyes widened.

"No, don't worry, I killed them! They're gone! You're safe! It's going to be all right!"

Instead of any of that, all he managed was a few whiny barks, but they couldn't hear him anyway. He wanted anything more than to comfort those poor, terrified people, but there was no way he could.

"We are safe as long as we remain in here, child," said the man by the kids. He had long dark hair and looked important, like a leader of some sort. "Be at ease."

"Yeah," said the kid about Link's age. He had dark hair and green eyes. "We'll be fine. I'm sure this whole thing will be gone in no time, and everything'll go back to, you know... normal. We'll get you guys home soon, promise."

"Oh yeah?" said the man by the window. "I wonder if the monsters out there agree with you..."

Link blinked.

What?

How could someone say something so awful?

"They sure didn't seem impressed by my bombs! How long do you think we can hold this sanctuary against beasts that strong, huh?"

No way.

What was wrong with that guy?

Talo, in the long-haired man's lap, cuddled closer to him, close to tears.

"Once they attack, it's OVER!" the man by the window continued.

"No, it's not!" Link tried to say.

"Remember the lady from the general store?" he said. "Just one of those things attacked her, and a whole gang from town went to save her!" The kids glanced at one another. "And what happened? She was already gone, and there were TWO monsters waitin'!"

Beth began shaking. What was wrong with that guy? For the love of Nayru, didn't he have any hope? He was talking to kids for Din's sake. "...You connectin' the dots? That means that if we get attacked by them, then we'll be..."

Dude.

Seriously.

"BARNES!" the long-haired man screamed, startling everybody. Beth couldn't take anymore, and she began sobbing into the teenager's shoulder, whom she was sitting by.

The man by the window slowly sank to the floor, shaking. Everyone else bowed their heads, fear in their eyes.

"Look, Renado..." the middle-aged man - Barnes - said, crawling on the floor, "all I mean to say is that it's risky here, too! Ain't you got some place we can hide?"

"There is...a cellar."

"WHAAT? You've got a CELLAR?" the man cried. "Where's the entrance, man?"

Link had to agree. A cellar would be the safest place.

Safe from what? He'd killed the shadow beasts, so what did he think they'd be safe from?

"The entrance to the cellar is designed to open when all of the candles have been lit..."

Link glanced around. Around the entire perimeter of the circular room was candles, barely accessible as they were too high up. Small little ledges were positioned around the room just so that Link thought he might be able to reach the candles, should he find the need to.

Instantly, Barnes grabbed a torch and lit it, scurrying around the room.

"...I...would not do that."

Link glanced at the dark haired girl who'd said it. "When Father instructed me to secure the cellar, I saw insects like the beasts inside."

Hey...

Insects...

Maybe the ones with the Tears of Light he had to collect!

Barnes scurried away from the cellar opening, and Beth broke down into sobs. "Don't cry, Beth!" Colin said, running over to her. "It'll be OK!" Beth turned away from him, trying to stop crying. "Link is coming to save us all!"

He...

He...really thought...

Colin really believed that?

Link smiled. Colin... he really had that much faith in him?

"...I can feel it!" he continued as everyone in the room looked intently at him. Even Beth had stopped crying to look up at him.

They were silent for a minute, looking slightly doubtful.

_I _am _coming_, he thought. _Don't doubt it for a minute. I'll be here._

"These kids knew you'd come save them!" Midna said with a giggle. "What a hero!"

"Not the time, Midna."

Bark!

"How sad, to be right in front of someone and not be noticed at all... Eee hee hee!"

"Like I said, not the time!" He barked at her and began growling. She just giggled.

"You are chosen by the gods and only that keeps you from turning into a spirit, or worse, into a dark monster, when you enter twilight."

"I'm not chosen -"

"And no one knows what you have done... You may be doomed to toil in obscurity forever..."

Link growled at her, wishing she would shut up. She was making him feel worse. It was bad enough that he couldn't help his friends, but she just _had _to rub it in his face.

"You're the type to worry about everything, I can tell... but don't fret over Princess Zelda! She chose this state of affairs, after all..."

"What's that got to do with any -"

"Anyway, what's with having to light candles to get to the basement? Not very subtle, is it... So, what are you going to do now? My lonely little hero... Eee hee!"

Link didn't care if she was done talking or not; he suddenly jumped and took off in a run, startling Midna and almost causing her to fall off his back. He snickered - or would have, considering he was a wolf. Served her right.

So, how was he supposed to light all the torches if he wasn't tall enough? He grabbed the lit torch the man had dropped in his mouth. It wasn't really safe, but he ignored his nervousness about the fire being so close to him. He climbed up on one of the ledges around the room, an idea sprouting in his mind.  
He jumped across the ledge he was on to the next one, and while he was in the air, the torch in his mouth lit the candle on the wall in between the two ledges. Perfect. One down... the rest to go.

He jumped across another ledge, then another. He wasn't very high up, but nevertheless, he felt his heart skip a beat nervously each time he jumped. He hadn't realized before this whole adventure that he was afraid of heights... It wasn't really a good thing, considering he was supposed to save the world, but it could be worse... He could be afraid of, say, wolves...

Once he'd lit all the candles, he saw the statue in the center of the room shift to one side, revealing a large opening, like a hole. He hopped down from the ledge he was on and felt his heart skip a beat as he looked down the passage. What a... long fall.

"What sorcery is this? The entrance to the cellar opening on its own... Could the beasts have engineered even this?" Barnes said in a nervous voice.

Link looked down in the cellar again. He saw a ladder, which he noted for when he was a human again, but for now, he couldn't climb. He had no choice but to jump.

Before he could sum up the courage, Midna said, "You drop down, dummy."

He took in a deep breath, his heart pounding in his chest, closed his eyes and jumped.

He landed before he even knew what hit him. Even so, he stood up shaking. Taking in deep breaths to calm himself, he flicked his senses on and eyed the three bugs crawling around. There was a small little passageway, which he was standing in, that led to another room. He followed it, killing the bugs along the way, and stepped into the small, circular area.

It was completely empty except for a weird statue that was sort of..._in _the wall. It was rectangular, taller than wide, but a shape within it seemed to be sort of disconnected from the rest. Like a statue inside a statue.

After they collected the tears, he walked past the strange statue and through the other passageway, where he found himself in a much smaller, rectangular area, without a roof. Wooden scaffolding supported the area, giving him good ground to jump on. Midna flew out in front of him, landing on a wooden pole with her pony tail flicking. He gave into temptation and jumped at her, but she'd moved out of the way. He jumped at her again, then again. By now they were outside in the cool night air.

He found himself standing in a graveyard. Broken-down tombstones were everywhere, and a few limp trees draped the area. A couple of keese flew at him, and he lunged at them, killing them under his claws.

His sensed flipped on and he looked around for any insects. He saw only one, buried in the ground and moving around. He had to chase it for a bit, but eventually he was able to dig it out and kill it.

There was nothing else in the area. It was surrounded by rocky cliffs, sort of like very steep, grassless hills. There was a path to his right, and a wall to his left. He didn't see anything else, but he still felt uneasy as he left, like something was calling him back. He didn't really believe in ghosts, but...

As he continued down the path, he saw the opening at the end had led him to an area behind the circular building he'd been in with the kids. Thinking of the kids, he raced into action, wanting to become a human again as fast as possible. Colin had believed in him... Now he had to give him a reason to.

-  
OK. OK. So it was his fault. _He _was the one who had lit the fireplace of a highly explosive building on fire. _He _was the one who thought it might kill the bug trapped in the fireplace. _He _was the one who'd chased the flaming bug around, causing it to catch the building on fire.

"Huh? What did you do?" Midna glared at him as he lamely paced around, not able to find a way out. "Sorry, but as romantic as this is, I'm not going to stay here with you. I'm getting out!" She flew off his back and out of the building.

Dammit, Midna!

Hatred flared up inside him.

He leapt as flames danced around him. The window he'd jumped through was now blocked by fire, so how was he supposed to -

BAM!

Something exploded to his right. Then he heard something explode behind him.

OK. So catching the bug on fire wasn't a good idea.

Maybe he could dig his way out...?

Oh, it was no use. He was going to die in a burning building.

Dammit! It couldn't possibly end like this... There had to be some kind of hole or door or _something_... _Some _way he could get out...

And, as more explosions sounded around him, he saw something to his left. It was like the fire leapt out of the way for a split second just to show him. It was a small little opening, a little hole, that he could just barely squeeze through...

Link waited for the fire to dance out of the way, and without hesitation he dashed over to the hole and scurried through. He felt himself get stuck halfway, but he was so determined to get out he pulled himself the rest of the way through with some kind of adrenaline-induced strength.

Once he was free, he bolted away from the building, and just in time, too... He turned around to see it explode in several places in a row, then burst into a giant fit of light altogether, crumbling into rubble.

Well.

That was close.

He eyed the remains of the building and saw that there were three Tears of Light floating around. The sight of them, for whatever reason - whether how simple they looked or the thought of how much trouble they'd caused him - made him crack up laughing.

"Hmm..." Midna commented. "I don't suppose there's any nicer way to hunt these things, huh? Well, you had to sacrifice someone's house to find Tears of Light...but that's how the cookie crumbles, right?"

Right.

He waited for a moment, making sure the building's remains weren't going to burst into flames or anything, then headed over to collect the Tears. It was odd - he'd just about died not ten seconds ago, yet he wasn't afraid or relieved or anything, like he should be. In the moment, he'd been thrilled, terrified, panicked...but in a...good way. It had been sort of...

...Fun.

Once he'd collected the tears, he headed back on the pathway. He'd checked every house in the town, even Barne's Bomb Shop - what do you know, the guy made bombs - which he'd exited out the roof of. The building was connected to the cliffside, and a path which he was able to follow had led him to - what he thought was - the top of the cliff.

But now, as he continued to follow the path, he saw that was not the case. The path he was on zig-zagged back and forth, up the mountain. The higher he went, the skinnier the path became, until there was only a foot or two for him to walk on. He became more nervous and apprehensive with each step, forcing himself not to look down.

Finally, he met a wide area. A building in front of him looked out over the cliff and on the town. Seeing as there were no bugs where he was, he decided inside the building was his best bet. The ground around it was soft, and he dug his way in.

A single bug scurried around the floor of the building, and he killed it with ease. He happily collected the Tear and waited for Midna to warp him to the village's spring, but she never did.

He barked at her.

"The Vessel of Light isn't full yet," she said. "There are still more Tears."

"But I've checked everywhere in the village!" he barked. She shrugged her shoulders apologetically, and he dug his way out of the building. Where to now?

He looked out over the cliffside - staying a safe distance from the edge - and looked around. He'd checked all of the buildings... He'd come from that side of town... and couldn't get out the other side of town, due to the gate in the way and the hard dirt that he couldn't dig away... Where else could he go?

As he turned away, something caught his eye. Like some sort of hole or tunnel at the base of the cliff. He doubted it led anywhere, but it was worth a shot...

After a few long, careful minutes of making his way back down to the town, he headed over to the thing he'd seen. Sure enough, it was a tunnel, much larger than he'd expected. It wasn't exactly a cave, though... It was much lighter and dyer, and nothing was in it.

In fact, this whole area was dry. Instead of dirt, it was rocky and dusty at his feet. As he walked a little ways, he eventually realized there was sky above him again.

In front of him, the path was blocked off. There was a sharp ascend that was impossible to climb up. There was some sort of material on part of the rocks that he was pretty sure he could climb on if he were human. But, since he didn't have thumbs, there was no way for him to continue.

"Looks like the the path's impassable," Midna said. "But I can get you up if you want to go." He walked over to a large rock and pulled himself up on top of it. Midna then flew out from behind his back and flicked her ponytail around. It was such a large jump, but...

He was in the air, anyway.

He barely managed to grab the edge of the rock wall with his front legs, then hoist himself up. He noticed a spirit orb floating around, and he flicked his senses on to see it was a...

He wasn't sure what it was.

He winced. He'd never seen any races other than hylian and human... so he'd probably heard of whatever this person was, but he just had never seen one before.

It was all... yellow. A loincloth was around its waist, but that was the only clothing it was wearing. It was big and muscle-y, but also sort of fat-looking. Its face was wider than a human or hylian's. It's arms were long, and it's legs were short. He still had no clue what it was until he began to walk away and glanced behind it.

Its entire back and back of its head was made of a rocky material. A goron! Right! He'd heard of them, they could...curl up in balls, like rocks, and roll into stuff. And that was how they attacked...

"Ugh... Why do I have to stand guard..." it - he - said. "The ladder is destroyed, so it is not like any humans will come up..."

Well, he was a hylian...

So technically, the goron was still right.

"And what is with the elders? If we have a problem the humans can help with, we should ask. It is better than suffering for the sake of pride."

What did that mean? Were the gorons suffering for some reason? That humans could help with?

Maybe the Fused Shadow was causing them trouble...

He continued forward when he came across a more open area. There were little spots that randomly shot out gas. It didn't look poisonous, just really hot. He took a step forward and accidentally ran into one. It pushed him away and he fell to the ground. OK, so...hot, and powerful.

A quiet tune met his ears, and he couldn't help but follow the sound. It was a sequence of three notes repeated twice, then a small pause, then the six notes again. Eventually he found a strange stone with a circle omitted in the center. After some time, he started to howl with it.

One high note, one middle note, and one low note. Then again - a high note, a note close to that one, and a third, a little bit lower than the pattern would suggest.

He blinked, and suddenly he was sitting on a platform high above everything else. He was back in the world of light, the stars in the night sky winking at him.

Crap.

What did he do?

His panic was quickly stifled. Something about his view - a large full moon rising above a swampy area way off in the distance - seemed to soothe and relax him. Way in the distance, atop another platform, he thought he saw something... like a dot of blinding, yellow-white. It looked sort of familiar...

...The wolf!

The wolf that had turned into a human, and taught him the Hidden Skill!

He howled the tune again, loud enough for the wolf to hear him. After howling the pattern once, the wolf began to howl with him, mingling their voices.

It was kind of like singing... in a weird, less self-conscious kind of way. They finished howling, and the wolf spoke to him.

"Let teachings of old pass to you..." it said slowly. "Take sword in hand and find me..."

It jumped off the platform, and Link blinked. He was back in the twilight, sitting by the stone.

Um...

Strange...

Wait, so... how was he supposed to find the wolf? It could be anywhere...

Midna kicked his sides. "Let's get going!"

He growled, got up and continued down the narrow path. After a bit, the walls on either side of him curved away, revealing a large, central area, like the "heart" of this mountain sort of area he was climbing. There was a spring in the center, as well as a few steadily climbing rocks - like stairs - off to one side which led to a few more ledges. In the spring, however, he saw there were four shadow beasts.

He headed over to them, baring his fangs as they circled around him and cornered him. Once they were all close enough, Midna created an energy field to temporarily stun them. Link jumped at them, killing three but not quite managing to kill the last one before the force field wore off. Its shrill scream stunned Link, giving a shadow beast the opportunity to throw itself at him and attack him.

He moaned, rolled over and got onto all fours. Damn - now they were all alive again! He had to be quicker. He let them corner him once again, and this time, the very second Midna shot out her energy field he leapt at them, killing each and every one.

They collapsed, then dissolved into twilight matter which shot up into the portal. OK. That was good. Now they had a new portal.

He climbed up the step-like rocks and onto another pathway. He saw an insect and killed it easily, but Midna still did not warp him. Dammit! How many more were there?

A spirit's orb was floating beside him, and he flicked his senses on. He wanted to know more about the gorons' whole predicament, and besides... part of him was hoping that one of these spirits would be Ilia.

"Why do I have to stand guard at a dead end at the bottom of a cliff like this..." the goron complained. "Wait a second! Have they tucked me out of the way because they think I am useless?"

Link sighed and headed away from the goron, continuing up the pathway that circled some sort of central rock-tower. Suddenly, something began rumbling in his ears, and he looked around to see rocks falling from the sky.

Farore! Rocks were falling from the sky!

Not only that, but they were on fire!

Dammit!

He found himself in another area, this one with a hot spring and a few rocks here and there, but nothing else. He flicked his senses on and saw a single insect crawling around. After dodging falling rocks for a few moments, he managed to lunge at it. Hefelt the Tear's warmth spread throughout him, and finally, _finally_, he felt himself rising in the air as Midna warped him.

"Aw, I was just starting to have fun! Don't foget that Fused Shadow!"

The way she said it made him roll his eyes, but he was smiling all the same. He was out of that nightmare called Twilight, he was a human again, and he'd found the kids! He began to head toward the building they were in when the spring's spirit stopped him.

Of course.

"My name is Eldin," it said slowly. Its body was fairly small, but it had two massive wings that made it look almost like a hawk or an owl. "I am one of the light spirits of Hyrule. I am the spirit that guards these lands.

"O great hero chosen by the gods..."

Midna glared at him, daring him to keep quiet. "Listen..." he said, trying not to sound angry, "I'm starting to get used to the whole 'chosen by the gods' thing, but... please don't call me 'great' or act like I'm more important than anyone else."

The spirit stared at him for a moment, but didn't say anything.

"Oh, and if you don't mind me asking," he continued, "could you let us know where the Fused Shadow is? My friend Midna here" - "I'm not your friend," she whispered fiercely - "said you might have it."

"The dark power you seek lies in the sacred grounds of the proud mountain dwellers. But already those grounds have been defiled, draped in shadow and seeded with evil."

So the problems they had _were _caused by the Fused Shadow.

"You must go to those sacred grounds and cleanse them."

He sighed. "Well... I _would _say it's not my problem, but by now it kind of is..."

The spirit dissolved in a fit of light, and Link sighed again. He looked up at the mountain he'd been on just recently, then looked down at his own hands. "The gods chose a pretty lousy hero," he muttered.

"Link?"

He looked up and saw Colin peeking out of the house. His heart skipped a beat and he laughed.

The kids!

They ran over to him and jumped on him, tackling him to the ground. He embraced them all in a hug as they giggled and squealed. "Ha ha ha! See, Beth?" Talo said between fits of laughter. "I TOLD you Link would save us!"

Ha.

If only they knew that he'd BEEN there.

He realized that there were only three kids by him. He saw that Colin had been knocked onto the ground, so Link cocked his head and smiled at him, as if to say, "Why aren't you over here yet?" Colin got up, giggling, and ran over onto the pile of kids on top of him.

"Oh, guys, I'm so glad you're okay! I missed you!" he said, hugging them all and getting up. "Is Ilia with you guys?"

"No, we thought she might be with you!"

He looked around, concerned. Crap, so she really WAS missing...

"I'm sure she's safe," he said, partly to comfort the kids, but also partly for himself. He looked up from the kids grabbing his legs and arms as the important-looking, long-haired man walked up to him.

"...You are the one from Ordon whom these children spoke of?"

"Yes sir."

"We are well met. I am Renado, shaman of this town," he said, holding out his hand. Link took it.

"Link."

"This is my daughter, Luda," he continued, gesturing to the little girl at his side. "And this is my nephew Caden."

They shook hands.

"The beasts took us and left us to die..." Colin said. He looked up at Renado. "But Mr. Renado found us."

"At first, I couldn't believe they had come from so distant a place as the Ordona Province..." Renado said.

"Yeah, I... We don't remember much," Colin said. "All of a sudden everyone was captured, and then...until now...it's been like..."

"...A nightmare," chimed in Malo.

"Yeah! It was like a terrible dream and we couldn't wake up..."

"Mmm... Nightmares are everywhere these days, it seems. This village has certainly seen its share of recent hardships."

Caden and Renado exchanged a glance, as if sublty agreeing to tell Link. He had a feeling that none of the children understood what they were about to tell him.

"The dark beasts attacked, but even worse was the sudden chang in the mountain-dwelling Goron tribe," Caden said. "They had long been our friends, but suddenly they treated us like enemies. Even now they won't let us enter their mines."

"It strains the limits of belief," Renado added, "to think that such a gentle and proud tribe could change so suddenly... It makes me wonder if something in those mines is the cause of this change..."

"So you haven't even been able to... you know, talk to them? Like, ask them what's wrong?" he asked.

"To be honest, we've been too afraid to try," Caden said. "None of us are adventurers like yourself, and we wouldn't stand any chance against them if they attacked us."

"I could go," Link offered. "I actually need to head out that way anyway."

"We couldn't ask you to do something like that for us."

"In any case, you must take these children and flee this village before more nightmares descend. I, of course, cannot leave my village in such a time. There is no telling what may happen to us here..."

"Well... I still feel like I could do something to help you guys..."

"It is my job to try to coax the Gorons back from their recent change of heart," Renado said plainly.

"I don't wanna leave all these people just to save ourselves," one of the kids said. The other kids agreed.

"I'm heading that way anyway," Link said again. "I'll just talk to the while I'm there."

"Link," Luda said, "trying to go near the mines is very dangerous. I will be very sad to be separated from Colin and the others, but it is your job to make sure they return safely to their parents."

"I do not know what is in the Goron mines, but surely they will soon come to understand it, and right what is wrong," Renado said.

"But don't you guys need help? I mean, your daughter just said that it's dangerous. I could handle it better than you guys."

"Do not concern yourself with me, my son," he said. "You must flee this place as quickly as you can."

Link sighed. "But... I don't have a carriage or anything to take them in, and Hyrule field is too dangerous to travel through by foot."

"What about Epona?" Malo asked.

Link winced. "She's missing." The kids stared wide-eyed at him. "She won't come when I blow the grass that she likes."

"I have a horse," offered Caden. "But I don't have a carriage."

"They can all ride on the horse," Renado said.

So it was settled. They were to ride Caden's horse back to Ordon and tend to his horse until they found a way to bring it back. They had food enough for three days and a large canteen of water. The kids and Link protested the whole way through, but the shaman insisted.

Link had ridden the horse all the way to the end of the town's road, but as he passed by the pathway leading to the Goron mines, he couldn't take any more.  
"I'm not abandoning these people," Link said, turning to the kids behind him. He dismounted the horse and told the kids to do the same. "Bring this horse back to the village. Tell them I... I don't know, tell them I died or something. You guys can get back to Ordon some other time, but right now, this village needs me."

The kids looked at each other. "No offense, Link," Beth said, "but you're not exactly a people-person."

"Yeah," Talo agreed, "you get angry pretty easily."

He blinked. "Yeah, well, nobody else is going to help them," he said, trying not to raise his voice.

"We're just saying that maybe you should bring someone else that might be better at talking to people and stuff."

"Oh yeah? Like who?"

"I'll go."

Link spun around to see Caden leaning against the wall of the cliff.

"Oh, um, it's not what it looks like," Link said. "We were just, uh, talking. We're on our way to leave right now -"

"Hey, don't sweat it," he assured. "I agree with you. Someone should do something. I mean, my uncle can't do it, and you're an adventurer. Kakariko doesn't need any more problems than it does already."

"You don't know what you're getting yourself into, being friends with me."

"Yeah, I do." He walked over to Link. "I've never left my village. I want - scratch that, I _need _to know what's going on in the world." He bowed his head. "I would be honored if you would allow me to aide you on your quest."

Link blinked. "My _quest_?" He almost laughed. "My 'quest' is a lot bigger than just talking to the Gorons. I'll need to get into their mines, and after that there's a lot more I need to do."

"I understand. I still wish to come with you."

Link laughed. "Well, if you're _sure_." He looked to the kids. "Go back with the horse," he instructed. "The shaman will take care of you. Tell him Caden and I will be back soon."

They nodded and headed off. "All right," Link said. "Join me on my quest. But if you're really serious about this... there's someone you should meet."


	10. Chapter 10

Author's note:

Oh my gods.

Took me long enough, huh? What, two weeks? I'm so sorry, guys, SO SORRY! And the chapter's so short, too :( Sooo sorry... Thanks for being patient... I promise I'll start updating more often. UGH IM SOOO SORRY D:

Anyway! Enough talking. Let's get to the story!

"So... it can _float_?"

"Um, yeah."

"And its skin is just..." He trailed off.

"Yeah. It's black and white. It's because..." Because she's from the twilight. "Well, I'm not sure."

"What are the green markings all over it?"

"Um...just part of her skin, I guess."

"You say it is fully grown. Why is it so small?"

Link sighed. To be honest, he didn't know why, either. Weren't creatures from the twilight supposed to be larger? Not toddler-sized? "I don't know, dude. I don't know."

"How did you find it?"

Midna, who had promised to stay quiet and had done a well enough job so far, spoke up. "I'm not an 'it'," she hissed through her teeth. "I'm a she."

"S-sorry," Caden said, his face turning red. "I did not mean to offend you. Forgive me." He bowed slightly toward Midna, and Link couldn't take any more. He burst out laughing.

They just stared at him.

"S-sorry," he apologized, trying to stop laughing. "But you're just so...funny. The way... you're so... s-stiff and... serious!" He started laughing again, and something about his laughter made the other two smile. After he calmed down, they continued walking.

"Sorry," he said again. "I'm sure you probably think I'm really rude now."

"I do not mind," Caden said with a smile. "You're a very cheerful person."

"Just wait till you get in a fight with him," Midna muttered.

"Hey, you just said 'you're,'" Link said. Caden rose an eyebrow. "Instead of 'you are.' I'm getting to you already." They laughed, and Midna fused into Link's shadow as they came upon the opening with the sharp hill-cliff-thing. Link hurried over to it and began to climb the material on the rock, Caden close behind.

"Now, there's a Goron up there, so be prepared."

"How do you know?"

Link hesitated. Whoops...

"I, um, saw it. Before we started to climb..."

"Oh."

Not sounding at all convinced, Caden let it go, and they hoisted themselves up onto the rocky edge, where, sure enough, a Goron a few feet away stood guard.

"Ah! No humans allowed!" he shouted.

"No, wait! We're here to make peace with you guys!" Link said, drawing his sword out of habit. The Goron eyed him angrily, and Link quickly dropped his sword at his feet, feeling very exposed.

"These lands ahead belong to the Goron tribe!"

"We understand that," Caden said. "We wish to help you with your problems. We will not attack."

"We must enter your land."

"The elder said no humans may pass!" With that he curled up into a ball and began to roll in place, gaining momentum.

"No, wait!" Link yelled. He fumbled with his sword, then crouched down in front of Caden and assumed a battle stance. Well, perfect. Awesome. The Goron was rolling toward him at top speed and he was standing here in front of some kid and neither of them had the upper body strength to stop the thing and if either of them got hurt, it was _his _head, and hot damn this was going to hurt like hell...

The Goron collided with him and pain rippled through him. He somehow managed to dig his fingers into its rocky skin and hold his ground, but only for a few seconds before he and Caden were pushed to the edge of the cliffside and were launched off and in the air.

Shit shit shit shit shit shit shit...

Where was the ground? Dear goddesses, where was the ground? He couldn't feel anything, nothing was there, he was going to fall forever and ever...

Waves of hot panic flooded through him and even as his back slammed into hard rock, he could hardly breath. Oh thank the goddesses the ground was beneath him he just wanted to bury himself in it and hug it. Dear gods.

He exhaled heavily and forced himself to sit up, his arms and legs shaky. Caden was already up, massaging his neck. "Are you alright?"

"Y-yeah, I'm f-fine," he said, trying to shake away the dizzyness in his vision.

"A weak spirit is no match for the might of the Gorons!" the Goron cried from atop the cliffside.

Caden and Link glared up at him, but could not protest. He was stronger than both of their strength combined. "Do you understand me, humans? Then away with you!"

"Well, shit," Link said. They got up and hurried away from the place before the Goron attacked them again.

"They appear to only recognize strength," Caden said. "It seems pointless to persuade them."

"I hate to be selfish, but whether or not they're peaceful to your village, I still need to get into their mines somehow."

"I do know of one person who was able to best them and earn their trust...His name is Bo. I believe he lives in Ordon."

Link tripped and fell onto the ground. "Mayor Bo?" he sputtered, pulling himself back up. "Ilia's dad?! He knows about the Gorons?!" His heart fluttered in excitement. Suddenly, panic hit him in the chest. So... he had to go back to Ordon. What if he got back and decided to stay? He didn't want to stay in his village, he wanted to continue on his adventure.

But what if he changed his mind?

"You're going to come, right?"

Caden looked taken aback. "Well, of course," he said. "We're friends now, right? We have to stick together."

Link stared wide-eyed at his companion, then a grin spread on his face. He was about to say some sarcastic remark when he realized that Caden might take it the wrong way. He'd have to learn to keep his big mouth under control.

At least for a little while.

They arrived in town to see Renado glaring angrily at them and the kids looking sorry and pitiful.

Link and the children were told to leave Caden and his uncle alone, so the kids hurried inside a building to escape from Link and Link was left alone, feeling guilty about getting his new friend in trouble.

He couldn't blame Renado for being mad, though. After all, he'd promised to take the kids back to his hometown, but instead his nephew had come along and they'd snuck off, leaving the kids to come back on their own while they directly disobeyed him.

But still, they'd had the best intentions. And Link was still pretty sure he would be able to make the Gorons peaceful if he could just rid them of the Fused Shadow. But he couldn't do that - let alone enter their mines - until he learned the secret of fighting them, which he could only find out from Bo...But he couldn't get to Bo until he got a horse.

And Din knows Renado wouldn't let him use their horse any more.

He sighed. If only he had Epona...Renado might be able to take Caden's horse away from him - after all, he was in charge of Caden and that horse - but there was nothing he could do about Epona.

Clickclackclickclackclickcla ck.

Link spun around. Was he hearing things?

Clickclackclickclackclickcla ck.

Because that sure sounded like Epona.

Around the corner of the street he could see a whiz of tan fur and a white mane.

Epona!

Something was on her back - two Bokoblins, maybe? But she easily bucked them off and continued galloping in a frenzy his way.

His heart fluttered impatiently and he grinned, his hand outstretched. However, he noticed something in a panic.

She wasn't slowing down.

Maybe she would come to a halt right in front of him. That was it - she just hadn't seen him yet.

Not slowing down.

Still not slowing down.

Farore - she was going to run him over!

Link jumped out of the way, and just in time, too - he could feel her mane graze his side as she

sped past him and came to an abrupt halt at the spring. Her front legs rose in the air and she whinnied loudly, catching the sunlight nicely, before turning around and dashing the other way, rushing around the town.

Damn.

She sure was a beautiful horse.

She paused again to raise her front paws in the air, and Link took the opportunity to bolt over to her and jump on her back, barely managing to grasp onto her reigns before she took off in a dash again, faster than ever.

He hurridly pulled her reigns from side to side, trying to get her to calm down and listen to him, but she barely hesitated and managed to fling him off her back and go tumbling down to the ground.

Hard.

"Damned horse. Get back here!" he yelled, picking himself up, despite his bruises, and chased after her once again until she paused to buck her front legs and whinnie. He pulled himself back on her and once again was flung back and forth as she charged around the village. Link pulled her reigns this way and that, and at some point, Epona stood on her hind legs and whinnied loudly and triumphantly before settling down on all fours, calm at last.

Link collapsed on her, wrapping his arms around her neck and nuzzling his face in her mane.

"Damned horse," he whispered as he panted heavily, his grin never faltering.

Thank the goddesses she was okay.

She was his again.

"Hmm... You're not too shabby a wrangler after all!" Midna said, popping out of his shadow.

"Won't this make getting back to your town a lot easier? Now go finish your errand so we can get back! Get a move on!"

Get a move on.

So, without talking to Renado or Caden first, without thinking about any of the consequences or worrying about staying in his village too long...

...He did.

Wind rushing through his hair and his stomach leaving the ground with each leap Epona made, fingers gripping the reigns so tightly they were numb - making abrupt turns which filled him with adreneline that left him only wanting to go faster...These were the things that filled him with such happiness that was indescribable. He felt awake and filled with youth and life and just... happy.

"Mr. Link! WAAAAAAIT!"

His heart fell as he pulled Epona to a halt and he was afraid for a moment that it was Renado, but thankfully it turned out not to be the case. Instead, it was...

Um...

The strangest looking man he'd ever seen.

He made a strange, high-pitched noise as he jogged along awkwardly, stopping in front of Link.

"Greetings, Mr. Link!"

"Uh...hi."

Wait...how did that freak know his name?!

The man just smiled. He practically screamed the word "awkward."

"Not to be...uh...rude..." Link started, trying not to laugh, "but what the hell are you wearing?!"

He was wearing a skin-tight white shirt and disturbingly short shorts - maybe it was all one garment? - knee-high sandals, a tall red had and a much taller red flag that somehow stuck to his back.

"Why, my uniform! I'm the postman!"

Link just stared.

"I have come to deliver a letter. It is a letter from Ooccoo."

He held a piece of paper out in front of him, which Link took.

"Thanks, I guess," Link said.

"Well, my business is concluded! Onward to mail!"

And he jogged away out of sight.

OK.

Um...

He wasn't sure whether he should laugh or be disturbed.

Link glanced down at the letter, then decided he might as well read it. He broke the wax seal and unfolded it, reavealing its contents:

_I was so happy to meet you and spend a bit of time with you! I am planning a trip to a new location, just so you know. If you continue your journeys, we might see each other again! So take care of yourself..._

_P.S. I didn't have a chance to tell you this last time, but I have a son. I'll introduce you if we meet again! He's a good boy, so be nice!_

_From Ooccoo_

Oh, right...

That freaky bird-thing with a human head...He'd completely forgot about it. He hadn't even realized it had left.

He doubted they'd ever see each other again.

But he was okay with that.

xxx

Link laughed.

He really laughed.

He laughed so hard he fell to the ground because he got so dizzy from lack of oxygen. His sides stung with sharp pain as he laughed for a good fifteen minutes. After a long while, he managed to pull himself back up, only to collapse against Epona in giggles as he glanced at his house - Farore, Din, and Nayru, his house, his house his _house _- once again. He didn't even wonder what was so funny, he just couldn't stop.

He must have been homesick or _something_.

"Link?!"

His lungs somehow found the air for him to start laughing twice as hard. Mayor Bo stood in his yard, as well as Jaggle, Hanch, Uli...Farore, he couldn't keep track. They all ran toward him and he gladly collapsed in their arms.

"Woah, it IS you, Link!"

"You're safe and sound!"

All Link could do in responce was laugh even harder. Just as he was thinking that they must have thought he was crazy, that they just might take him to a doctor or something because they were afraid he couldn't stop laughing - which, he couldn't - they all did the oddest thing.

They started laughing too.

He took turns hugging each of them, not quite sure who he was hugging but knowing he had missed them dearly.

"Your clothes... What happened to you, lad?"

Link took in a few deep breathes to calm himself, then picked his brain to try to figure out where to start.

xxx

Everyone wanted to talk with Link, to invite him into their house and find out where he'd been and what he where he was headed...And he easily would have for hours, but he explained regretfully that he was in a bit of a hurry and had to talk with Mayor Bo as soon as possible and then leave. He and Bo were currently in the latter's house, Link tripping over his own words trying to explain what had happened, but without revealing anything about the twilight.

"I see... So the youn'uns are in Kakariko Village! Well, that's good... Renado's an old friend. If they're in his care, then we can relax."

"Really?" he asked with a grin. "Because I would have expected friends of yours to make their life a living hell."

Bo chuckled and shook his head. "So... Don't keep me waitin', lad! Tell me of my little girl! Ilia is with the rest of 'em, right?"

Link's smile faded and he turned his head away as his heart grew heavy. "She...um...she's actually not..." He trailed off.

"...Oh! I see... That ain't what I wanted to hear..."

He nodded grimly.

"Ah...But Link...I guess I need to think of all five of those poor kids, not just my own... They're all in danger. What I should be askin' is how I can help out..."

Link's ears perked up. "Well, actually, Caden said that you were the only person that could match the strength of the Gorons. If you could...I dunno, show me how... Then I could make them peaceful again."

"I see... So Renado's nephew told you that..."

"Yes sir."

"Well, it's true...I did defeat the Gorons in a contest of strenth and earned their trust... With the help of a little secret."

"You can tell me, right?"

"I CAN teach you the secret...but can you promise me that you absolutely, positively will NOT disclose it to anyone?"

Link grinned. He was pretty good at keeping secrets.

"Link, you've heard of sumo wrestlin', right? Gorons like to match strength in sumo contests."  
Link's eyes stayed glued to the giant platform in the middle of the room he'd been led to. Sumo wrestling... Sumo wrestling...

"Okay."

"Luckily for you, the basics of sumo are the same as stoppin' chargin' goats... You wanna hear more?"

"Sure."

"Alrighty then. Here're the basics.

"If you're gettin' in a sumo match, chances are you're in an arena like this," he said, gesturing to the room. "The first fella to push his foe outside the arena wins. You're allowed to strike a fleein' foe or sidestep an attackin' foe. You step forward and grab an apponent to try and push 'em off.

"Three techniques," he continued, "all of 'em pretty basic. Master all three and you'll be shovin' folks out of the arena in no time, lad! Anyway - rather than explain a lot, why don't we just get to it? Take off yer shirt and step on into the ring."

Link stopped. "Take...off my shirt?" Normally he wouldn't mind, but Midna had just flown out of his shadow and into a dark corner of the room with a smirk.

"Yeah. Why not? It's just part of sumo wrestlin'. The Gorons'll make ye do it. Plus you'll get all hot and sweaty, y'know."

Link hesitantly pulled off his tunic and hat and he felt his face grow warm as Midna's eyes trailed down to his chest and she gave an approving, almost seductive smile.

Wait, but... Didn't she hate him? Why was she flirting with him? She was probably just teasing him, just trying to make him feel stupid and embarrassed because he thought she liked him. The problem was... it was working.

He stepped onto the ring and mimicked Bo's action of crouching down.

"Ready...GO!" Bo shouted.

Link immediately lunged forward to grab Bo, but he dodged his strike and managed to grab him and push him back a few strides. Link shook Bo off, and eagerly lunged at him again, but Bo ducked. Link quickly dodged out of the way, expecting Bo to grab him again, but instead he somehow managed to strike Link, stunning him, and began pushing him again.

His ankles scraped the edge of the ring, and determination flooded through him. He shook Bo off and immediately ducked, dodging his attempt to grab him. Link then managed to grab him and push him, bringing them both away from the edge. Bo shook him off, but Link quickly struck him and began pushing him again. With one final shove, Bo stumbled out of the ring.

He looked shocked for a second, then he picked himself up and crossed his arms, looking slightly annoyed. "Hmph! You seem to understand the basics."

Link smirked. "Basics? I kicked your ass."

"All righty, next time I won't go easy on you, lad. Fight me as if you were fightin' one of the Gorons!"

Link rolled his eyes, but complied. They wrestled once again, Link beginning to pick up on Bo's rythem, which made the wrestling a bit easier. However, Bo had been going easy on him, which made the wrestling a bit harder.

He still managed to beat Bo with ease.

"Whoa ho! Not too shabby, lad! With your natural talent, I'm sure you can take on the Gorons...You've gotten a sight stronger in the short time you've been gone."

"Yeah, but I still wasn't strong enough to stop a Goron back at Death Mountain."

"Exactly. That's where my secret comes in." He gestured for Link to follow him, then began walking out of the room. Link slipped on his tunic and grabbed his hat, following Bo out of the room. Midna, who he'd forgotten about, flew behind him and rested her hands on his shoulders.

"Not bad," she whispered in his ear. Her breath was hot and sent chills down his spine. He turned around to look at her, but she was gone.

"You comin', lad?"

"Y-yeah," he stuttered, hurrying over to Bo. For the love of the goddesses - he wasn't... falling for Midna, was he?

_Him_? Fall for _Midna_?

Not in a million years.

/

"Farore! They're heavy!" Link complained, trudging around the house with the metalic boots.

Bo chuckled. "I should think so! They're made of solid iron! No way a Goron is movin' ya now, lad."

Link smiled, knowing with relief that he wouldn't actually have to carry these things around - Midna would take care of them with her twilight-magic.

"So I guess you'll be headin' out now. We'll set ya up with some food on your journey. You'll come back when you're finished with the Gorons?"

Link hesitated. "Well..." he began. "It actually might take...longer than that." At least long enough to clear away the rest of the twilight...and possibly search for and kill something to obtain the third Fused Shadow. Somewhere along the way, though, he had to find Ilia. "In case it takes a while, though... Y'know, so long that I...find Ilia, but can't see you for a while..."

"What is it, lad?"

"I wanted to...ask your permission to... to... d-date her...?" Link muttered awkwardly.

Bo was silent for a minute, then burst into rich laughter. "Well of course you can, son! I couldn't think of a better partner for my girl! Please...go for it!"

Relief flooded through Link, and he grinned. "Thanks!"

_I'll find you, Ilia_, Link thought. _I promise, I'll find you._


	11. Chapter 11

Author's note:

Okay.

I'm not dead.

I'm just a procrastinator.

School started a couple of weeks ago so there's that to blame. But that's not much of an excuse... I seriously can't tell you how sorry I am. I recently became SUPER obsessed with Hetalia – the greatest anime in the world. No I'm serious. It's about pasta, heroes, and WWII, I mean, how much more awesome can you get? WATCH IT. OMIGAWD.

But I can feel myself slipping back into the Zelda universe. So hip-hip-hooray! I'll be updating more often now! Plus, I convinced myself that as soon as I get done with the Goron stuff, everything will be ten times better. I. HATE. THE. GORON. TEMPLE. MY. GOD.

But I seriously think the only reason I'm even still doing this is you guys :D I mean, I love to write and I love Zelda, but your reviews just make me so happy that I feel so pumped and motivated. They make me smile so much it hurts. Please keep leaving your reviews~ I love you guys 3

Now let's see what Link's gonna get himself into next, shall we? Hehehehe...

*THIS IS A TRANSITION*

Link stopped in his tracks.

Hey...

Hey!

It was that...thing!

That white wolf... the one he'd howled with at the stone. Yeah... the whole thing with the Hidden Skills and all that...

Shit...

He hadn't used his sword in a while... This might get a little sloppy...

Link hurried over to it, and it stood up, golden fur glinting in the sun. Suddenly, it faded into white all around him and he barely felt himself collapse on the ground before losing consciousness.  
*THIS IS A TRANSITION*

_They were standing in Ordon Spring. Ilia crossed her arms. "I'm not worried about Epona, you meathead...I'm worried about YOU."_

_Link poked her in the stomach, but she grabbed his finger. He tried to twist it free but she held firmly, so instead he poked her with his other hand. She giggled and blocked her stomach with her arms. They began to relax, and Ilia said, "Listen, Link...Could you do something for me?"_

_"Anything," he said._

_"Follow me."_

_Ilia broke into a run, catching Link off guard. "Ilia, wait up!"_

_She just giggled._

_It wasn't long before they were in Faron Woods. He knew these woods well, but...something seemed different._

_"Ilia, please!"_

_She stopped, suddenly, and Link followed her gaze. A huge castle was in front of them - Hyrule Castle. It was grand and enormous - bigger than all of Ordon Village. He looked back at Ilia, but she was gone._

_"Ilia? Farore, where are you?"_

_He heard someone walk up behind him, and he spun around. Zelda stood there, her deep sapphire eyes searching his. Link blinked as something began to happen to her face, like it was morphing into something else. "It is coming," she whispered as her blond hair shortened and her crown and dress disappeared. Link realized he was now looking in a mirror, staring at himself._

_Suddenly, a searing pain hit him. It tore at him from all sides and ripped him apart, and he tumbled to the ground. He saw something like fur before his attention was directed to a man, who looked overwhelmingly familiar. He smiled wolfishly down at him as he raised the sword in his hand, then sliced it through Link's stomach._

Link sat up panting, a hand flying to his stomach where the sword was. But a part of him already knew the sword wouldn't be there.

Damn dream.

Damn.

Dream.

Why was that the only thing he could dream about? Zelda and Ilia and some mysterious murderer. Why?

He begam dimly aware of his surroundings - or rather, the lack therof. He was surrounded by a white foggy... nothingness.

Right...

The Hidden Skills.

Well, he hadn't really practiced in a while...

So this should be interesting.

He turned around to see the strange man there that had taught him the first skill.

"We meet again," he said, with what sounded like a bit of...annoyance? Reluctance? Bitterness? Link just rolled his eyes.

"Looks like it, Captain Obvious."

The skeletal man glared at him. "You haven't changed much, have you? Though you appear to have a little more of the looks of a hero than you did before... Do you feel ready to earn your next skill?"

"Sure. Let's get to it." Link unsheathed his sword and advanced on the man.

"So eager," the man muttered. "A true hero is patient."

"Yeah, well to me it seems like a hero should be ready to go into battle at any moment. And not to press the subject," Link said, exasperated, "but I never said I was a true hero. Just the opposite, in fact. But I don't want to be here all day, so how about we just get started?" Link himself was surprised at his sharp tone, but frankly he felt uncomfortable referring to himself as a 'hero.' He just wanted to drop the subject and get back to Caden and Kakariko and the kids and... an angry Renado...

...Well, maybe he shouldn't be in such a rush...

"Very well..." the man said, unsheathing his sword. "But before we begin, I must test you to ensure you have mastered the last skill I taught you...the ending blow." Link nodded. "Now then, come at me!"

Link quickly advanced on the man. It didn't take him three hits to realize, though, that the man wasn't doing anything to defend himself.

"What, you're not gonna put up a fight?" Link asked with a smirk, but he struck the man to the ground before he could answer. He then jumped forward and sliced his blade through his gut with a satisfying thwak!

In one quick move he was back on his feet, standing in front of the limp body. The body soon was mobile again, however, as it sprung back to life and stood before him. "Excellent. It appears you are certainly capable of performing my lost art. Very well. My second skill is...The shield attack! Let it be hewn into your mind!"

*IS IT WORKING SO FAR?*

Colin sighed and sat down by himself. Now everyone was mad at them - not just Mr. Renado, but Link and Caden too. And like normal, all the other kids were blaming it on him.

He looked up at Beth and Malo talking in the road. _Beth is so pretty, _he thought to himself with a smile._ I wish she would talk to me_.

Noise.

Screaming.

Chaos.

A big green thing was riding on an ugly beast. In the middle of the road. Right toward Beth.

_Beth!_

He began shaking.

He had to do something! He had to be brave, like Link! What would Link do right now? He would go save Beth! Push her out of the way!

But he wasn't strong enough to do _that_. He wasn't brave enough. There was no way... no way...

He stole another glance at Beth. That monster was about to hit her.

Colin began running. He heard ringing in his ears as he pushed Beth out of the way and looked up at the big ugly thing. Its glowing red eyes were the last thing he remembered.

*I THINK IT'S WORKING*

"Hya!" Link cried as he shoved his shield forward and down, then scooping it up to hit his opponent – a Bokoblin – in the head, stunning it. He used that opportunity to shove his sword into its stomach and kill it.

"I guess when push comes to shove, those hidden skills come in handy," Link said as he drew in his sword and sheathed it. He mounted Epona again and continued riding through Hyrule field, happy to feel wind whipping through his hair. A few more waves of adrenaline washed through him, and he made Epona go faster, happy at the tingling sensation his body was flushed with in response.

But his happiness was short lived. Link could see Kakariko approaching, and his mind swam. No doubt the kids would be afraid of him, thinking he'd be angry; Caden would probably be mad at Link for getting him in trouble; and Renado... Well, did he even need an explanation?

He slowed Epona down and peered past the gate. He was about to dismount her when he heard something.

Screaming.

Yelling.

A familiar sound of a horn being blowed.

Link kicked Epona, but she was already on the move, sensing the danger. She jumped the fence - for which Link was grateful - and was racing toward the danger in no time at all.

In Kakariko, Link knew before he looked that that huge, oversized Bolblin on the pig-thing was there. He recognized the sound of the horn. All his little minions would no doubt be there too.

However, one glance at that thing, and Link felt the color drain from his face.

It had Colin.

It held Colin its hand.

In its _hand_!

That filthy thing had its _hands _on _Colin_!

He felt his fear turn into strong anger and Epona went even faster, if that was possible. He could feel himself growling into Epona's mane, leaning forward to stay balanced. The Bolbin leader was already racing away from Link at top speed, but Link knew he could outrun it.

He could outrun it, right?

He hadn't realized how tightly he was gripping the reigns, but his knuckles were turning white. Link willed himself to calm down, to relax if only a little bit. The pounding in his chest slowed a little, and he closed his eyes as Epona continued on.

He had to concentrate.

He had to concentrate if he was going to save Colin.

He found himself in Hyrule field once again, and slowed down Epona as he came upon the King Bolbin. The thing sneered and smirked a crooked smirk, its eyes daring him to make a move. Link noticed with another spout of anger that it had Colin tied to a stick high above his head. It then slowly rose its ugly hand and ever so smoothly gestured for Link to come at him.

And that did it.

Epona exploded forward at Link's command, but the bastard was just as quick. He saw the thing pull out its horn and blow, and seconds later heard the sound of multiple hooves behind him. By now - _shit_, the others had _arrows _- the only thing that stopped Link from chucking his blade at the King Bolbin's head was that Colin might get hurt if he did. So he tightened his grip on his sword and steered Epona left and right to catch up to his fleeing enemy.

He grew closer and closer. He could just barely reach it if he tried. Just a little closer... A little more...

Link shoved his sword forward and almost burst into tears at the sound of metal hitting metal. Fuck fuck fuck shit shit shit he had _armor_?!

He jammed his sword forward again, harder this time, searching for any kind of breach. When he hit the king a third time, something happened.

It fell off.

A piece of the armor fell off.

Oh Din, Farore, and Nayru,_ thank you_.

He didn't have time to celebrate before sharp pain was rippling through his shoulder. His cry of pain caused Epona to slow down out of concern for her master. The king was getting away...

Link yanked the arrow out and kicked Epona's sides to speed her up. Warm blood oozed out of the wound and stained the ancient, sacred tunic that was centuries old and sent by the gods that was once worn by the ancient Hero and was passed down to him because he was trusted by the sacred light spirits and now he was going to get in trouble with them and well shit.

Another arrow struck him in the back.

Right.

Back to the battle.

By now, Link was caught up with the king Bolblin again. He gripped his sword tightly and slashed it down on the monster's back, exposing more ugly green skin. He hit him again, and again, and by now all of the armor was gone. He pointed his sword and made to dig the blade deep into the beast's gut, but...his skin was too damn thick.

But the damage he'd done was enough. The Bolblin leader was stunned and began riding lopsided on his beast. Unfortunately, his beast-pig was smart, and it began to head for the bridge.

Dammit.

Of course he did.

Of _course _he did.

Nevertheless, Link followed without hesitation. The Bulbin was waiting at one end of the bridge, and Link made Epona back into the other end as he smirked. He knew how to do this. Horseback riding was his specialty.

Then something happened.

The Bulblin king nodded, and they both kicked their animal and started at each other.

But he _nodded_.

Almost like they were friends.

And as Link veered Epona to one side suddenly, and his sword clashed with skin, something crossed his mind. That thing didn't speak - or if it did, certainly not his language. But it had still communicated with him. And Link had understood. They'd had the same thought, agreed on something together. Because they'd had something in common. They shared something.

The battle field.

His whole life, Link thought that fighting and battles and war only tore people apart.

But maybe it could bring people together, too.

Even enemies.

And that was Link's last thought as the Bulblin King fell off its beast and hit the ground, dead. _Dead_. _His _doing. This time, along with his rush of adreneline he always felt after killing, something was layered behind his happiness, his feeling of _I-can-do-this_.

He felt sad.

*BUM-BUM-BUM-BUM-BUUUUM-BU-BU-BUUUUM*

"Link..."

Oh no he didn't.

No he did just not.

He did?!

Did Colin just _talk_?!

Was he _awake_?!

Was he _alive_?!

Link dropped everything and held Colin in his arms. His eyes were open, but look glassed over, as if he was only half-conscious. The people around the village gathered around them.

"Is everyone...okay?"

Link felt his arms start to tremble. Colin was okay.

Colin was alive.

"Everyone's fine, just fine. Are _you _okay?"

"...Good."

"Did you hear me? I asked if you were okay."

Colin closed his eyes and made a slight nod. Then he opened his eyes and looked over at Beth. "Beth... I'm sorry. You know... for shoving you. Are you mad?"

Beth widened her eyes and gave a violent shake of the head. Then she smiled a warm smile.

"I... I think I finally understand."

"Colin, don't worry about it. Just relax. No need to explain anything."

He continued anyway. "I understand what my dad meant when he told me I needed to be stronger, like you, Link..." Colin...Colin thought he was strong? Colin's _father _thought he was strong?

Colin lifted his arm up as if he were reaching for something in a daze. "He wasn't talking about strenth, like lifting stuff. He was talking about being brave..." His hand formed a tight fist for a few seconds, then his arm collapsed.

Colin thought Link was really that brave? "But Colin, you did something stupid. You ignored your better judgement and did something even though you knew it could get you killed. You went out and almost died just to save someone older and maybe stronger than you. You did something _stupid_." Link smiled down at the boy in his arms. "You _are _brave."

Everyone around him laughed. Even Renado.

_War can bring people together_.

"Link... You saved me, didn't you?"

"Of course I did. I wasn't gonna let that thing kill you."

He smiled weakly. "You... you can do anything."

What?

Did Colin really believe that?

"You can do something to help the Gorons in the mine too, can't you, Link?"

Link nodded, and Colin smiled.

Then he fainted.

*OH NO HE FAINTED*

Renado never scolded Link for going up the mountain without permission. In fact, when Link and Caden asked - well, _begged _- to be able to go up to the mines, now that Link had the iron boots, Renado finally caved in and agreed. So that meant no more sneaking around.

Although Link still had to hide Midna.

Speaking of which...What was he going to do when he had to go back into the Twilight? Caden couldn't come with him. And he couldn't figure out _why_ he couldn't come.

Link shook his head and decided to worry about it later. Which was probably a bad idea, but oh well.

Link was currently standing in Talo's shop - little _Talo _had his own store - and fingering a metal shield. Midna had convinced him that a metal shield would be a better thing to bring to a fire temple than a flamable, wooden one. And she was probably right.

"Here you go," Link said, handing Talo four purple rupees.

He turned and left the shop, smiling down at the shield. It was so well crafted. Link had no idea where Talo had gotten his hands on it. Not that it mattered - it was _his _now, and he felt like a hero as he held it in his hand.

"You ready to go?"

Link turned around and saw Caden standing there, equipped with a sword like his and a plain metal shield. "Yup," he replied happily. They turned and left Kakariko, talking along the way. Caden had some trouble keeping up with Link, though, who was just about ready to jump out of his pants. Because no matter how many times he would tell people that he wasn't a hero - which he _wasn't! _- he actually kind of enjoyed adventuring like this. To be completely honest, he couldn't wait to start fighting again.

Before long they were back up to the steep hill. The Goron at the top hadn't noticed them yet, for which they could count themselves lucky. When they got to the top, though, they were spotted immediately.

"Ho! You are back again, humans? You will never pass! You cannot hope to match our brute force!"

"Come and get me," Link said with a smirk. Fire lit in the Goron's eyes and he curled into a ball.

"Midna!" Link whispered fiercely. He felt himself grow heavy as she warped the iron boots onto his feet. "Get behind me," Link said, and Caden obeyed.

This time, when Link's fingers dug into the Goron's rocky skin, he wasn't moved an inch. He was able to push the Goron over to the side and watched with a grin as it rolled over the edge.

Okay, so having the heart and spirit of a hero was important.

But having the right stuff helps, too.

*YET ANOTHER TRANSITION*

"Did you see the look on that guy's face?"

"Priceless!"

Link and Caden were laughing so hard they had to stop walking and calm down. They were having quite a bit of fun surprising the Gorons with their strength - they took turns wearing the boots - and were cracking jokes every ten seconds that made the other one laugh uncontrollably.

They were about halfway up the mountain, Link had to guess. Every few minutes, they would hear the rumbling sound of a Goron rolling its way down the hill, so they would ask Midna to warp the boots onto one of them eagerly. And then the Goron's expressions when they rolled away would just kill them.

But in a good way.

Link also noticed something else. The further they travelled, the more relaxed Caden became. It wasn't just in his body language, it was his plain old language - more slang. He wasn't as formal. Link felt kind of proud that _he _was the one that opened Caden up like this.

Somewhere along the way, Midna popped out and started talking with them. Link found himself having the most fun he'd had in a while. Although for some reason, Link felt his heart flutter a little whenever Midna talked.

Weird.

They continued walking and laughing, and once again they all had to stop because they were laughing too hard. Link's side started to hurt and he leaned on a rock for support. After they calmed down, Link just so happened to glance at the rock and immediately a tune found its way into his head.

That was the howling stone!

Link wanted to laugh, but he felt pretty laughed out. Instead he started humming the tune he'd howled for that stone. He was really surprised he remembered it so well. He continued to hum, and the more sure he became of the notes, the louder he began to hum. He was surprised that when he was about to repeat it again, more unfamiliar notes popped into his head and he hummed those. And after hearing this strange new tune out loud, he recognized it.

Somewhere deep inside him, those notes tugged at his heartstrings. It almost felt like they were trying to bring back memories, but he didn't know what of.

"Are there words?"

Link jumped. "What?" He didn't know they were _listening _to him!

"The song you were humming. Are there lyrics?"

Link opened his mouth to say 'no', but for some reason he felt himself nodding. And when he took in a breath to explain that he didn't know what the lyrics were, he found himself begin to sing.

_Day to night, dark to light,_

_Fall the sands of time._

_Let the years like the gears_

_Of a clock unwind_

_In your mind walk through time_

_Back to better days._

_Memories, like a dream,_

_Wash tears away._

_Like a star in the sky,_

_Darkness can't reach you_

_Light the night, joy is light,_

_Till the new dawn._

_Cast away your old face_

_Let go your spite,_

_With this mask I'll ask_

_To borrow your light_

Oh what the hell.

How did he just...

What?

Where the _fuck _did that come from?!

How in the hell.

How.

What.

Then Link remembered that he had just _sung that song in front of Midna and Caden_. Out loud. And now they were staring at him. And now his face was red. And now he was a fuckin' singing princess fairy and he was going to get made fun of on so many levels and shit.

"You're a really good singer."

*THE END OF LE CHAPTER*

Oh God I made Link a mother effing singer xD I thought it was fitting though cuz he's a wolf and howls at the stones and...and...

Okay. So you'll have to wait and see why he knows that song. It'll all tie together.

Lyrics by ColdFlameZero on Youtube and here's the song -  watch?v=CXTvqpjQGz8

Again, I'm gonna update more often now. Don't get your panties in a bunch.


	12. Chapter 12

**Author's note:**

**...I feel so horrible.**

**I'm so SORRY, I JUST UUUUUUUUUUUUGHHHHHHH YOU DON'T EVEN KNOOOOOOOOW BUT I PROMISE WITH ALL MY HEART THAT I WILL UPDATE MORE FREQUENTLY! I'VE BEEN DESPERATELY TRYING TO AVOID WRITING ABOUT THE GORONS BUT NOW THAT I'M HERE I'M GONNA BE UPDATING REALLY OFTEN BECAUSE I'M TRYING TO JUST FINISH THE STUPID PLACE AS FAST AS POSSIBLE. SERIOUSLY I PROMISE. I'VE ALREADY STARTED WORKING ON THE NEXT CHAPTER. I PROMIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII IISE! I'm thinking about updating once a week on Sundays maybe? Mondays? We'll see but I PROMISE. I. WILL. DO. IT.**

**I also have a question~ Do you guys want me to have Link do the Cave of Ordeals? I know it's not for a while but I'm just curious. **

**OK comments are much appreciated I LOVE your feedback! Now let's catch up with Link, shall we? He missed you guys :3**

*THIS IS A TRANSITION*

Link didn't realize giant flaming rocks were falling from the sky until one landed right in front of him.

And it was fucking huge.

As in, he couldn't see the top of that thing huge.

And it was three inches away from him.

"...Goddesses," Link finally managed to say under his breath. He could feel himself begin to tremble, but before he panicked, something in the back of his mind clicked. He'd just almost died... _Almost_. He was still breathing. He was still alive. It was like the universe was on his side.

Waves of adrenaline replaced the waves of panic, and a grin cracked on his face. He loved the feeling that everything was happing now, _in the moment_. No consequences, no problems ahead of him, just here and now and the wind in his hair and the rocks under his feet -

Link felt Caden pulling on his arm away from the flaming rock. "Whoa... This looks dangerous... Is this the traditional Death Mountain welcome?" Midna giggled. And suddenly, he had the Gorons to worry about, the Fused Shadows, going back into twilight, finding Ilia, making sure Colin was okay...

"Midna, you shouldn't joke around. Are you okay, Link?"

"Yeah, I'm - DUCK!"

Caden ducked just in time - a Goron was right behind him and had just punched the air where Caden's head had been. Link pulled out his sword as Caden appeared by his side.

"Listen, we don't want to fight you," Link started, but the Goron didn't even say a word before it reached forward to strike Link. Quickly, Link jammed his sword forward and struck the Goron. It didn't do much because of the Goron's rocky skin, but it did stun him, at least. He then shoved his shield forward, but was surprised that instead of coiling back from the strike, the Goron curled into a ball.

Midna quickly warped the iron boots onto Link, but the Goron didn't roll forward.

It just stayed there.

Still.

Had he killed it?

Oops...

Suddenly, the Goron began to vibrate. It shook and shook until it suddenly and violently popped back up, ready to attack again.

"Link, I know what to do!" Caden said. "When you strike him down, climb on top of him."

"Do _what _now?"

"When he pops back up, he'll launch you into the air and you can land on the pillars up there to get to the entrance."

"Do _WHAT _now?!"

Pain sliced through him as he was shoved to the ground. "Dammit..." he muttered, pulling his aching bones back up. His pain turned to anger and he slammed his shield into the Goron, and it curled into a ball.

"Hurry, climb on!"

Link glanced up at the ledge he was being launched to, and his stomach did a little flip-flop. It was so high up...

"Hurry!"

He let out a shaky breath, and with trembling fingers, he pulled himself up onto the Goron's back. It had already started shaking...

He'd be up there any second now...

Any second...

Any se-

"AAAAH!"

His stomach was gone. His legs were in the air. Nothing was beneath him. He tried to breath, but the wind was too sharp in his lungs.

He tried to blink - he had to clear his head and get onto the rocky surface. But his heart was beating too hard for him to focus. He was so dizzy... It took him a few seconds to realize...

...He was already safe and sound on the ledge.

Dizzyness clouded his vision as he looked down and saw Caden down below, climbing onto a Goron. He looked so small... Link was so high up...

Link took in a deep breath and willed the dizzyness to go away. He closed his eyes and backed away, his heart running marathons in his chest. He heard Caden land next to him, and after a few seconds, he grinned cheerfully at Link, recklessness swimming in his green eyes.

"That wasn't so bad."

Link made a sound between a laugh and a sob.

*CADEN IS SUPER HOT IN MY MIND*

It was after climbing atop three more Gorons and being launched into the air that Link was pretty sure he couldn't take any more. By now, his head was spinning so badly he had to stop in place and take in a few deep breaths to keep himself from passing out. He was shaking all over and had something like butterflies in his stomach - although he would describe it more as butterflies punching him in the stomach. Granted, butterflies probably wouldn't punch very hard, but that's not exactly the point.

"Are you okay?" Cautiously, Caden placed a hand on Link's back.

"I-I'm fine...We don't...have to do that again, do we?"

Caden shrugged. "I don't know. We're close to the top of the mountain, so the entrance can't be too much farther up... Although using the Gorons is the quickest way to ascend." He tilted his head to the side and eyed Link curiously. "...Why?"

Link felt himself begin to tremble violently at the thought of being launched into the air again. "N-no reason... I was just w-wondering."

Link picked himself back up and they only had to walk a little bit further before he was back to his normal self, grinning stupidly and taking nothing seriously. A door! Din, Farore, and Nayru - the entrance! No more being launched from Gorons!

Grinning wider, he exchanged a glance with Caden.

"Are you ready?"

Caden nodded, and they opened the door.

"Oh shit!"

"Ah, what the - ?!"

In a flash, Link had on his iron boots, but he knew in an instant that he alone couldn't stop the tirade of _six Gorons _rolling toward him at once. Just as Link turned to run away, he heard a booming, commanding voice.

"ENOUGH!"

The Gorons popped out of their curled up position and looked behind them in surprise. Link too looked past them, noting in the back of his mind a wrestling platform, and saw in the opposite doorway an older, shorter, weaker-looking Goron step into the room. "Are these young ones such imposing enemies that you must all gang up on the two? I think not, Little Brothers."

Link blinked in surprise, then smiled. "Thank you," he said, still sounding shocked. The Goron chuckled.

"I am a Goron elder, little human. I am called Gor Coron."

"Cool, I'm Link," he said. Caden elbowed him in the side and glared at him, then greeted the Goron himself.

"It is an honor to meet you, Gor Coron," he said monotonously. "My name is Caden."

The Goron smirked ever so slightly in approval, then he spoke again. "Because of certain...circumstances, I must lead the Goron tribe in place of Darbus, our tribal patriarch."

"We've heard about your troubles," Link explained, "and we've come to help. I - we - think we know what's causing the problems, and we may be able to help rid you of them."

Gor Coron cocked his head to the side in confusion. "Tell me, little human, do you come from the village below?"

"I...Yes, we both came from Kakariko."

"You have done well to come this far. You are strong...for a human. However..." He crossed his arms. "The mines beyond here are sacred to my tribe. Outsiders are not allowed."

Link immediately scowled, glaring at the Goron. "You guys are pretty stupid for not accepting our help," he hissed. "But I still need to get in there. Maybe you're right, and I can't help you, and maybe I _won't_, because I don't feel like it, but I _need _to get something in there, and _you are going to let me in._" It probably wasn't a smart idea to yell at an already angry group of ten or so Gorons, but right now Link didn't care.

To Link's surprise, though, Gor Coron suddenly grinned. "I could make an exception...but you would have to beat me in a contest of power. Are you wlling to try that, little human?"

Link smirked. "Let's get to it! No playing dirty, though. You've got all these guys to help you and I've just got this one." He gestured to Caden, who frowned as Link laughed.

"I'm kidding! You know I" - he lowered his voice - "couldn't beat them without these," he whispered, gesturing very slightly at his boots. Caden's scowl broke and he rolled his eyes in forgiveness.

Link saw out of the corner of his eye Midna leaving Link's shadow to go float next to Caden. He stepped up on the platform and was relieved when Gor Coron didn't ask him to remove his shirt. A Goron counted down from somewhere behind him, and out of the corner of his eye Link glanced Midna whispering something to Caden.

Wait, what?!

Link did a double take, and then a triple take as he saw Caden _laughing_.

What were they _talking _about?

What was so _funny_?!

Wait...why did he care?

Pain seized him and suddenly Link was being pushed backwards. He tried to duck out of the Goron's grip, but damn he was _strong_...

...Now _Midna _was laughing.

Why was Midna laughing?

What on _earth _was so _funny_?!

Link felt his ankles brushing against the edge of the arena, and determination filled him. He pushed Midna to the back of his mind and strained with all his might, trying to get the Goron away...he _had _to win...he _needed _the Fused Shadow...

Link suddenly found their roles reversed; he was pushing Gor Coron closer and closer to the opposite edge of the arena, while the latter was helpless to stop him. With one last burst of energy, he pushed the Goron over the edge of the arena.

He won.

Thank Din.

Now to find out what Midna and Caden were talking about.

*I JUST CAN'T HAVE IT ACTUALLY SAY IT IN THE BOOK*

"Farore," Link gasped, tugging at the coller of his shirt. "It's hot in here!"

"Well, we _are _in a volcano," Caden pointed out with a wry smile.

They were. It looked it, too - beyond the rocky area they were currently standing on was nothing but a vast pool of lava, dotted here and there by large rocks barely skimming the surface. Metal pipes lined the walls, and spouts of fire poured randomly throughout the room. The air was thick with dark black smoke, making it hard to see or breath. Not to mention, it was hot. Link thought he might suffocate from heat alone.

"I guess we should get going," Link suggested. "Maybe there'll be less fire the further we go." Though he actually suspected quite the opposite, he wanted to cheer up Caden - who, despite the flushing heat, was pale with fear.

They walked as far as they could without getting caught on fire, but they were stopped when they came upon the very edge of the rocky "shore." A few feet away was a pillar with a flattened top barely coming up out of the pool of fire. Not thinking about it too much, Link backed up a few paces and then broke out into a run. His feet left the ground and collided with surface a few moments later. He waited a moment for Caden, but he still hadn't jumped yet.

He looked behind him and saw Caden, looking pale and afraid, eyeing the fire cautiously. When he saw Link looking at him, he began to move, slowly backing up. He then broke out into an uncertain run, his feet leaving the ground at the last possible moment. He landed cleanly next to Link, staring at him with wide eyes for a while.

"...What?"

"Aren't you afraid?" Caden asked in disbelief. "You just jumped over a pit of fire like it was nothing!"

Link shrugged. "I dunno. I mean, I'm a little scared, but I just do it anyway."

"It's weird...You seemed a lot more afraid when we were jumping off the Gorons."

Link tensed, the tramatic memories of flying through the air flashing through his mind. "I don't know. I guess. I...I don't know."

Caden gave him an odd look, then looked away and backed up to jump to the next boulder. Link followed suit, and eventually they made it across to solid land. Metal fencing surrounded the area, forming tunnel-like passages. Link wiped sweat from his forehead and eyed a strange contraption. Gingerly, he placed a foot on it and recoiled in alarm as it sank into the ground. A ticking noise echoed around him, slowly picking up speed.

A button!

What did it do?

Link looked down the passage for something that seemed like it had moved, but he saw nothing out of the ordinary. He shrugged, guessing that the button had no use, and started to walk further down the rocky passage.

However, the ticking noise the button was making was getting faster and faster, and it made him nervous. It was about to run out any time now, and if it _did _move something, it would pop back in place any second now.

...Shit.

"Run!" Link yelled, and he and Caden dashed around corner after corner, getting as far away from the button as possible. Suddenly, from a little ways behind him, fire shot out of a small hole in the metal wall, filling up the tunnel they had just been standing in.

"S-So _that's _what that does," Link said with a shaky laugh. "We'll just have to be faster next time."

He wiped sweat from his forehead and realized for the first time that his shirt was thoroughly drenched in sweat, sticking uncomfortably to his back. With a content sigh, he ripped it off, feeling the cool air meet his skin. Caden eyed him for a moment, then followed suit.

It wasn't long, however, before heat engulfed them both again and they were sweating like pigs. Since putting their shirts back _on _was out of the question, Link called for Midna to ask her to hold onto their garments.

She flew out of his shadow and blinked at them curiously for a moment.

"You guys look hot."

Link took a moment to process what she'd said. Then his face flushed a deep red and his mouth opened to gape at her in surprise. Had Midna really just said that?!

He exchanged a glance with Caden, who looked equally embarrassed and confused, and then they both looked at Midna. She cocked her head in confusion, but then something seemed to click in her mind, for she groaned and said, "I meant you guys look _sweaty_, not _sexy_! You perverts."

Link blinked. "Ooooh," he finally said, feeling even more embarrassed. "Well, uh, we were wondering if you could hold onto our clothes for us."

Her nose wrinkled in disgust. "You want me to hold onto your stinky laundry for you?"

"Pretty much."

She rolled her eyes, then held her hand out and the clothes disappeared. Caden blinked in amazement but didn't say anything. Midna stretched and yawned, then suddenly, to Link's surprise, burst into color.

"Woah!" he cried, stumbling back. "I thought you only looked like that in the - " Oops. "Um...I mean, uh..." He glanced at Caden, but luckily he wasn't paying attention to Link. Instead he was gaping wide-eyed at Midna.

"How did you do that?!"

Midna shrugged. "I can go full-colored if I want. It just uses up a little more power. I really only become a shadow so that I can get into other people's. But I'm gonna hang out here for now. What with your sweaty clothes stinking up my shadow."

Link smirked. "First of all, it's _my _shadow. Second of all, you just wanna be out here because there are two attractive guys without shirts that you want to flirt with."

She rolled her eyes. "Yeah, right."

"C'mon, who _wouldn't _want to be out here with us?" Caden asked.

"You should count yourself lucky!"

Midna blinked at them as they cracked up laughing, thinking themselves funny.

"You two are idiots."

*BECAUSE THAT WOULD BE AWKWARD*

Link opened his mouth in the hopes of saying something intelligent and meaningful, but all he could manage was, "This place is _big_."

The Forest Temple was about five times the size of his home village. But this place... was something else completely. This room _alone _looked to be about the same size as the entire Forest Temple. And this was only the _second room_.

It was also metal everywhere, something that intrigued Link a bit. He was used to all-natural grasses and open fields, everything being wooden and simple. But metal gates and complicated contraptions lined the area. They were on a walkway, and Link could see that lava still replaced the ground underneath them. But this room was much cooler than what they'd just been in. There was less smoke, too. He looked up and saw that skies were above him, and he was grateful to have clear, breathable air.

But something caught his eye as he looked up - some sort of metal machine, but it looked to be made of a different, blue material. It swung across to levitate above a different area for a moment, then slowly swung back. What was it? It looked...important.

"...Yeah," Caden finally agreed. He looked just as awed as Link. If anything, he was more amazed; what with everything he'd been through in the past few days, Link was surprised he hadn't lost his sanity yet.

Midna, however, looked unimpressed. "You'd better get going!" she said with a giggle. "Every minute you waste... Well, you know."

Link _did _know. Twilight was spreading. He groaned like a whining child. "C'mon, don't ruin it for us! We've never seen anything so..."

"Big," Caden finished, sounding dazed.

"Yeah, big," Link agreed dreamily, gazing around the area once again. Again, he spotted the swinging contraption with what looked like blue stone covering one side of it. It swung toward them. "What do you think that thing is?" he asked, pointing toward it.

"It looks magnetic," Caden said.

Link blinked at him. "What?"

"Wait... You don't know what a _magnet _is?" Caden asked with wide, amused eyes.

Link shook his head slowly. "Why? Should I?"

Caden looked at Midna. "How do you explain what a magnet is to someone as dense as him?"

Midna gave an amused giggle. "I guess...magnets attract each other... They... You know, I don't know."

"Oh!" Caden suddenly started. "Like your boots, Link! Put them on and go stand under that thing; you'll go flying up toward it, because your boots are magnets, and they attract to other magnets. Since that thing is bigger, it's stronger and will stay in place and make the smaller magnet, your boots, move instead."

Link blinked, then shook his head. "So you want me to stand under it and _what's _going to happen?"

Caden shook his head, laughing. "Put your boots on and stand under it, and just... You'll see."

*I MEAN, IT'S IN LINK'S POINT OF VIEW*

"DAMMIT CADEN!" Link screamed, trying not to pass out. How? How? What was happening? He was fucking upside-down! Why wasn't he dead yet?! Why was he just suspended here?! He was _standing on a ceiling_. He was _standing _on a fucking _ceiling_.

_Don't panic don't panic don't panic don't panic_...

"FUCK!"

He was in the air. He was falling, dammit, he was falling! This was going to hurt, dammit, he couldn't see straight and he couldn't move, he was in the air and he couldn't focus and dammit Caden why? Why? _Why_?

Pain. Pain sweet pain. He was on the ground. He was still breathing, still alive. Farore, he was on the _ground_.

He took in a few deep breaths to calm himself and eventually shook his head and stood back up, shaking all over. He looked around the huge room and spotted Caden and Midna laughing. He made an obscene hand gesture in their direction, then looked around him. Midna had warped the boots off him, so now he was stuck over here, right? Well, fine with him. He wasn't about to go upside-down on that "magnet" again.

...And as soon as he'd thought it, he was in the air again.

...Not cool, dude.

He would be more angry if he wasn't petrified to the core with fear.

He tried to close his eyes and stay calm, but it worked for about half a second before he felt himself screaming bloody murder and panic was clouding his brain. Goddesses he was stuck and he couldn't do anything about it and he was upside-down and he was just _so high up_...

What should he do? What should he do? What could someone do in this situation? He wanted down _this instant_. But there was nothing TO do except wait patiently in terror for the horror to end. But this was unbearably terrifying and he felt like he might burst into tears at any moment. He just didn't know what to do and he couldn't get down and he wanted down _this_. _Instant_. But he was stuck.

Dammit he was stuck dammit dammit dammit!

Suddenly, Link felt himself in the air - and for three terrifying seconds he couldn't breath or move; he was just falling and falling and falling...

And then he was on the ground.

He took a few seconds to comprehend, and then he felt himself begin to tremble violently. He scrambled to get out of the magnet's path so that if Midna warped the boots back on without notice, he'd be safe.

He'd be safe, right?

Link leaned against some sort of wall and took in deep breath after deep breath, trying not to cry or panic. He was safe now, it was alright...

Next to him, Link heard Midna and Caden snickering, and his fear and relief turned to anger. He wanted to punch them in the gut or rip their hair out or _something _for being so...so...Words couldn't describe his anger. He was just so _mad_.

"You think that's _funny_?" he spat at them, his eyes shooting daggers. They stopped laughing and looked at him with wide eyes. "You think that's FUNNY? How about YOU go do that, huh? Or is dangling upside-down way high up in the air above a giant pool of lava something you're _used_ to?!" They just blinked at him in surprise. "I didn't think so. Now how about we go and do something worth our time - like, I don't know, _saving the world _- instead of making fun of _me_."

Caden bowed his head and apologized deeply, and Midna muttered an apology under her breath. After they began walking and Link and Caden began a conversation, however, he heard Midna snickering quietly behind him.

He hated Midna.


	13. Chapter 13

**Author's Note:**

**Haha. You believed me, didn't you? You thought I MEANT it when I said that I'd have this chapter done within a week. I believed myself, too! Well, hahahaha, but no! I am a dirty liar!**

**I'm done trying to promise stuff because I'm going to disappoint you if I do! All I know is, I'll TRY to update before 2 weeks goes by, but if I don't, don't be surprised. I'll ALWAYS update before a month is over, that much I WILL promise you. UGH IM JUST SO SORRY. SCHOOL IS A BUTT plus I have friends and other stuff I like to do and stuff. HAHAHA IM UPDATING ON HALLOWEEN :D**

**K thanks Btw I LOVE FEEDBACK it encourages me to keep writing; sometimes when I'm having a brain fart or I don't have motivation I'll go back and read the comments you guys sent...It just gets me so pumped and I feel so happy!**

**Happy Halloween!**

*THIS IS A...YOU KNOW*

"For Din's sake, it's not possible!" Link cried, pounding his fist on the stone wall in anger.

Caden jumped behind him. "We didn't make it? _Again_?"

They were in a relatively small, indoor room. The only door, other than where they'd come from, was impossible to get to unless they pulled the stone wall blocking their path. But they just weren't fast enough to make it through.

"Now what?"

Link sighed. "I think we have to split up."

Caden cocked his head, then slowly started to nod. "I...I think you're right. That could work - one of us could pull on the chain and the other can wait here and go through the door when it opens."

"Alright. How about you stay here, and I'll go forward? I'll just see what's in the next room, and then I'll come back."

Link didn't think anything _too _terrible was in the room he'd be going through, but he couldn't help but feel nervous about seperating, anyway. What if something was in there? He could trip and hurt himself and wouldn't be able to let Caden know. Or something, like one of those giant, fire-breathing lizards, could sneak up behind Caden and distract him and he wouldn't be there to open up the door when Link came back. _Something _could go wrong. Something could happen all too easily when they were seperated. Even though they'd only known each other for a few days, Link really did feel like he might lose a friend.

He held out a hand, and after a moment, Caden grasped it. They looked in each other's eyes and seemed to communicate one thing.

_Stay safe._

Then Caden turned around and jumped across the pillars in the lava and out of sight. After a moment, he saw the stone wall begin to move, and hesitantly sqeezed past and through the door in front of him.

It was a relief to feel cool air hit his skin see nothing but large pool of water in wake, but it didn't do much to ease his worries about Caden. What did _Caden _know fighting? What could _Caden _do if he got in trouble? Oh, sure, Link was no expert, but at least he had experience! Not to mention, Caden didn't seem too fond of fire. And now he was in a room filled with it while Link had the chance to take a bath in some nice, cool water.

...Damn, that sounded good right about now.

Link's desire overpowered his guilt and he plunged into the refreshing, cold liquid. He opened his mouth under the surface and swallowed a huge gulp of water. It soothed his parched throat and filled him with new life and determination. Caden would be fine. They'd killed everything in that room. And him? Of course he'd be fine. What could happen to _him_? He was perfectly okay.

...Besides that fact that he was about to run out of breath.

He swam up in a rush and gulped in breath after breath. He blinked the water out of his eyes and looked around the room. There was a metal gate blocking him from swimming forward any more, but he could clearly see something on the other side. Something that looked awfully like...

...Well fuck.

A magnet.

And yes. A magnet that he would have to walk _upside-down _on in order to get to the room up there.

Link groaned and felt his stomach do a little flip. _It's okay_, he thought to himself, trying to calm down._ It's not quite as high up. And this one doesn't move. I'll be fine_.

Besides the fact that he'd be _flying upside down _and WALKING on a CEILING!

"M-Maybe _Caden _should have gone this way," Link muttered under his breath. Unfortunately, Midna heard what he said.

She was suddenly next to him. "Aw, is someone scared? Don't worry, I won't warp the boots on until you're ready this time."

"I doubt that," Link mumbled. But what Midna said did make him realize something. It would seem kind of ridiculous to go back and ask Caden to go instead. He'd look like a wimp while simultaneously wasting time. He'd just have to suck it up and go on the magnet.

He started to tremble.

Midna yawned and stretched, and with great hesitance Link took a deep breath before diving underwater and gazing around. Though the water was a bit dirty (oops, he drank from here) he was able to see through it a small hole in the gate that he just might be able to squeeze through. He made a bee-line for the rift and, once there, stuck his head through.

Okay. So his head could fit.

He stuck one arm through, then the other. He then gripped the gate and pushed himself the rest of the way through. He felt himself running out of breath as he neared the surface of the water. He felt like his lungs might burst, but just in the nick of time, his face met cool air and he gasped for some in his lungs.

...He really wasn't a good swimmer, was he?

He swam so that he was directly under the magnet, and took in a few deep breaths.

"Are you ready?" Midna asked. Link nodded, then sqeaked - a manly squeak, of course - as Midna rose her hand. "Calm down, geez," she said with a sigh.

For a split second, he felt himself begin to sink from the weight of the boots.

The next second, he was in the air.

Ah, fucking _shit_! Help! Help! He -

Now he was upside-down.

Okay. Okay. He was okay. Just... upside-down. But he would be okay. If he closed his eyes, it was like he was just standing on a regular ground. ...Except for the blood rushing to his head painfully quickly. And the feeling of suspension in his arms and torso. And dammit, his hat was probably gone by now...

He forced himself to start moving, and eventually he found himself dizzily standing upright on a normal surface in front of a door. Oh, thank Din, it was over...

Once he'd calmed down a bit and Midna had removed the iron boots, he proceeded onward to the next room, to find it warm, but not hot - like a cozy house. There was no fire or smoke, and it was fairly small. There was one thing he noticed before any of this, though.

There was a Goron in there.

Not a big, tough Goron that looked ready to kill. This guy...was about half Link's height. And did he have a beard...? How was it possible for a Goron to have facial hair?

"Ah..." he wheezed, looking thoughtfully up at Link. "I thought I felt a presence...but what a surprise to find a young human! Word has come to me of you...and if Gor Coron has faith in you, then your heart must be true."

Link bowed his head. "Thank you...er..."

"Gor Amoto is my name," he said with a smile. "I am one of the four Goron elders. You are heroic, young human. Please, you must lend this tribe your power." He reached out from behind his back and pulled out an odd-looking piece of metal. He handed it to Link, who fingered it curiously.

"That is one of the key shards that, when merged together, form the key to the room where Darbus is behing held. He is our patriarch."

Link's throat ran dry at the thought of fighting that Darbus guy, but he nodded nevertheless.

"The key is split into three pieces. Each of us elders keeps a piece. You must hurry to the other elders!" He made an impatient gesture with his cane, and Link smiled and nodded.

He turned to leave, but the Goron stopped him. "Not that way!" he explained. "Climb up that latter, and you'll be on the second floor. There is nothing else you need on the ground floor."

"Except my friend," Link muttered under his breath, but he decided to climb up nonetheless. He had to admit, he was really curious. And since he didn't sense any serious danger ahead, he figured there was no reason to turn back now.

Up on the top floor, there were a few pots strewn about. Link didn't see the harm in peeking inside for any stray rupees - he was _sure _the Gorons wouldn't mind if he..."cleaned out" their pots for them.

But instead of a rupee or two, Link found something even better...or maybe worse.

Ooccoo.

That bird...thing.

He reached inside and pulled the creature out, who cried out graciously, "Phew! Free at last!" He - she? - examined him for a moment before something clicked in his - her - mind. "You're that nice fellow who helped me out the other day! How nice to see you again!"

"Heh...yeah."

"Well, now that we've found each other again, let's stick together for a bit, hmm?"

"Err...sure."

"I'll be right with you, so if you want to warp out, just let me know!"

"Um, thanks..." He looked desperately at Midna, who chuckled and held out her hand. Ooccoo disappeared in a fit of twilight matter, and Link sighed in relief.

"My life is messed up."

*GAIS CADEN IS SO HAWT*

Caden hoped Link would be coming back soon. Yes, he was worried about him, but quite frankly he was mostly bored. Sitting in an empty room with nothing to do can get pretty boring when you've been having the most exciting adventure of your life.

Maybe... maybe there was a way to get through that door with just one person. There had to be... The Gorons had done it, hadn't they? Maybe they just weren't fast enough.

Determined to catch up with Link, he stood up and grabbed hold of the chain. With all his might, he began pulling it, until he'd pulled it as far back as he could go. With a deep breath, he let go and ran.

*I NEED TO DRAW U A PICTURE*

"No."

"Link, come on."

"No."

"Man up, dumbass."

"I said, _no_."

"Link - "

"NO! I'm not going on another magnet! Are you really expecting me to walk across the _entire ceiling _UPSIDE-DOWN to the other side? I'm not _crazy_! That's _dangerous_! And even _I _know that!" Link cried angrily. He was hurt that Midna didn't seem to understand. _Can't you tell that I'm terrified? Don't you care about me?_

"Oh, grow a pair and get going. Twilight is spreading, you know!" She giggled.

"No! You're not the boss of me, _Mom_."

"I'm not your mother, smartass," Midna hissed, getting annoyed. "Now get going."

"You can't tell me what to do, _Mom_."

"I said,_ I'm not your damned mom_!"

"Oh, no?" Link asked. "You sure act like it!"

"Do I? Well then, _dearest son of mine_, _light _of my _life_, do what I say or you're going to your room!" She pointed somewhere off in the distance, glared at him for a minute, and then, simulaneously, they both cracked up laughing.

What was wrong with them? Farore...

"Thanks for that," Link said with a lopsided grin. "I never really had someone say something like that to me before."

She blinked. "What? 'Go to your room'?"

He nodded, then shrugged. "I doubt you wanna hear about it."

Midna rested her head in her hands as if her elbows were resting on a table and she was ready to listen to whatever he said. Link sighed and leaned against the wall next to him. Here they go.

"My mom died when I was born - I mean, I assume she did. All I remember is my grandma, and she's gone now." He looked at the ground to avoid Midna's gaze. "Well, she wasn't my real grandma, but I always called her that. She was always so quiet and gentle, and I never felt like she was watching after me; it was more like_ I _was taking care of _her_." He looked up at Midna suddenly with wide, serious eyes. "I can't help but feel angry about it, though. Ya know? I mean, my mom left me when I was born. She didn't care about me at all." He scoffed. "You two would have something in common," he muttered.

"I'm sure she must have had a good reason," Midna said.

"I don't care if she was the queen of fuckin' Hyrule. She didn't love me! If she did, she wouldn't have left me."

"How do you know it was her choice? You could have been kidnapped, or she could have died..."

"See, that's the thing. Don't you think it would have been easy to say that? But Grandma, no, all she would ever tell me was that my mom had special 'business' and that somehow, because of that, I was 'destined for great things'." Link didn't try to keep the sarcasm out of his voice.

Midna giggled. "Well I guess she was right, what with you being the Chosen Hero and all that..."

Link frowned darkly. "I'm. Not. The. Chosen. Hero."

"Yes you are."

"Think about what you just said! Would you really trust ME with the fate of the world?"

She looked at him skeptically for a moment, then sighed. "Well either way, you were chosen, so you can't do anything about it. Speaking of which..." She smirked at him. "Should you be getting to something?"

Link smirked back. "Not so fast! You still need to share _your _backstory. It's only fair."

Midna shrugged. "What is there to share? I had a normal life. Then there was heartbreak and usurption. I ran away, and, here I am."

"That sounds like a lot to me."

She sighed, and gazed off in the distance for a moment. Link felt bad for her, and angry at the person who had done that to her. She'd had her heart broken? Been usurped by that same person? Maybe that was why she was an imp-like creature, instead of one of the full-sized twili he'd seen.

"So is that why you want the Fused Shadows? To...you know, get your _life _back, with all that power?"

She sighed again. "In a way, yes."

She turned to look at him, and they locked eyes for a moment. Then Midna turned away and said, "Don't try to distract me! You still have to get on that magnet."

"I thought we've been over this. No!"

"Link, get on that magnet or so goddesses help me I'll - "

"You don't understand! I don't think I _can_!"

"Link, for the - wait...what did you say?"

Link's face turned red and his mind desperately searched for an excuse as to why he said that. Shit! Why _did _he say it? Now she was going to figure out that he was scared of heights! He would never hear the end of it! And then she would go and tell Caden, who would make fun of him along with her...

"I'll go."

Link spun around and grinned. Speaking of Caden...

"Dude! How'd you get up here?"

He rolled his eyes. "I grew a pair of wings."

Link cracked up laughing, thinking Caden was funny, but also overjoyed that he'd rubbed off on him.

"Do you mean it? You'll go?"

"Sure. It looks kind of fun. I mean, it's safe. We already tested that with you." He and Midna grinned and snickered at him.

Link frowned darkly. "Whatever. Now get going!"

"Hypocrite," Midna muttered.

"Hey! At least _I'm _encouraging the _willing_!"

"You're still a hypocrite."

*I JUST MIGHT HAVE TO LINK TO IT*

Link sighed and groaned. Where in Din's name was Caden? What in the world had he found? He didn't like not knowing what was going on. It was stressing him out, and besides that, he was _bored_. He wanted to do something. He needed to find something to pass the time.

He took in a deep breath to sigh again, but instead found himself burst into song.

"_Inside the dark remains_

_All light shall fade to gray_

_Until the dark is slain_..."

He wasn't sure what he was singing, but with each passing word, it seemed to become more and more familiar to him. He sang the next verse louder and with more certainty.

"_All across this old land_

_Sprits rise from the sand_

_All other life is banned_."

When he sang again, his voice became even louder, echoing around the room and hitting his ears.

"_Turning back times of old_

_Time never stops it's flow_

_Requiem of Spirit glows_."

For some reason, as he sang, he started to think of Zelda. Not just her in general, but in specific poses, surroundings...A dark, warm room...A kiss on his cheek...Someone standing by her side... A man? He looked oddly like Link himself, but there were differences...he did have his bright blue eyes... Zelda looked a little off, too... perhaps a bit older? No, no, this woman had brown hair, not the dirty-blond hair of Zelda and himself...

Silence suddenly rang in his ears, and he discovered that he'd stopped singing. He blinked, and whatever that image had been, that ...memory?...left him without a trace. He realized his heart felt heavy and there was a lump in his throat that refused to leave. He tried singing again, but his breath hitched and he realized he felt like crying.

...Why?

His hand flew up to the bridge of his nose and he closed his eyes, trying to hold in tears. He felt some sort of feeling as he tried to grasp onto the memory again, and he realized it was affection, comfort...love. But not the kind of love he felt toward the people at Ordon. This feeling was only one he could associate with his grandma, but this somehow felt more total and extreme than even that.

As he reached for that feeling, wanting more, he felt tears begin to run down his face as more images - scenes - memories, flew around in his head and he desperately clawed for every one of them; every loving gaze, every happy feeling, every touch of his hand with another's... these people, who looked so much like him...

He buried his face in his hands as more lyrics echoed in his ears, these ones voiced not by himself, but a voice in his head... a woman's voice, and a face to match flashed in his mind; she was standing above him...Was he in a bed? A cradle of some sort?

"_Day to night, dark to light,_

_Fall the sands of time_..."

Whatever image - _memory _- she appeared in, she looked to be wearing a large, fancy gown...

"_Let the years like the gears_

_Of a clock unwind_..."

She was so pretty... So... so familiar...

"_Cast away your old face_

_let go your spite_..."

Who was she...?

"_With this mask I'll ask_

_To borrow your light_."

Farore...

These were his _parents_.

*HAHA SEE WHAT I DID THERE. _LINK_. HAHA*

**So, um, there you go! The lyrics I found from a BUNCH of different sources, but if you search "Requiem of Spirit lyrics" on YouTube, the first three or four videos are the sources I used. Plus that video from the othe lyrics for the other song that I linked to in chapter...what was it? Ten? Eleven?**

**Oh also if you catch the reference to The Shining... :D :D :D (i don't own it, obviously). **

**ANYWAY thanks for reading! Leave comments plzzzz~!**


	14. Chapter 14

I am so sorry you don' t even know.

I know I say that a lot but SERIOUSLY. ITS BEEN LIKE TWO MONTHS AND I KNOOOOW I PROMISED I WOULD UPDATE ONCE A MONTH AT LEAST. SO GUESS WHAT I DID FOR YOU?

Y'ALL GET THREE_ EXTRA-LONG _CHAPTERS **IN A ROW**. AND I _WILL _BE UPDATING MORE OFTEN. I MEAN IT THIS TIME.

Anyway I see some of you guys are noticing that Link's fear of heights will pose as a problem. But don't worry, I've got it figured out! You'll see! Midna figures it out during...Meh! I can't tell you, haha, spoilers. But yeah, it all falls into place. Don't doubt me! I know I take a while to update but I actually planned the entire story out already involving subplots and whatnot that's not in the game. The specifics of actually writing it and dialogue, etc. are what takes me a long time to write. Heh.

...You know you're obsessed with Zelda when you start saying "Farore" "For the love of Nayru" and "For Din's sake" in real life...That's been happening to me a lot lately. Heh. Heheh.

Okay, to the story! We're in Caden's POV a bunch this time... :D :D :D

*THIS IS A TRANSITION*

Caden gazed around in wonder. In the very, very back of his mind, he wondered how long he'd been exploring, but it didn't bother him much at the moment. He was too preoccupied with how _big _this place was. He was surprised that Link had seemed as awed by this place as he. Hadn't Link been adventuring for a while now? He acted like he'd seen all that there was to see. He had probably been to Hyrule Castle to meet the princess in person. So why did this place make him gape in wonder like Caden?

Caden personally had never set foot out his village. And while it felt good to be able to see the rest of the world, he couldn't help but still feel disconnected, like he didn't know exactly what was going on. Obviously Link wasn't telling him what was _really _going on, but Caden felt like there was some truth to his words. There was clearly something troubling happening in the world - this much he could gather simply based on the fact that his village had been...had had so much..._trouble_, recently.

Caden forced himself not to think about all the friends he'd lost on that horrific day. Instead he decided to advance a bit in this huge, seemingly endless room - if he could call it that. It was a large, outdoor area, with wooden planks for bridges and walkways surrounding the area, letting him walk across. There were some wooden platforms and whatnot - and some more magnets - scattered about. The entire structure was surrounded by rock.

All it took was one tentative step past the wooden crate in front of him for something to violently whiz by him and land inches from his feet. Caden stood and blinked for a moment, then broke into a run as more flaming things - arrows? - struck the ground around him. He suddenly felt his foot collide with something and his face met the ground as a small, delicate sound jingled somewhere near him. He looked to see something small and metal, that he'd almost kicked over the edge of the wooden bridge, but not quite. It was still there. Thank Din - that thing could be important.

He picked it up and found that it was a key. Carefully, he pocketed it and continued onward. Now to keep an eye out for a locked door...

...Like that one over there?

Yeah...

Maybe this place wasn't so big after all...

At least, he probably shouldn't explore anywhere that he didn't need to. He didn't want to get lost, especially because then Link would come looking for him, and they'd both end up lost and would probably never see each other again.

So he dodged arrows as he headed toward the door with a lock on it. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw something a little ways away from him, and it creeped him out. It was some sort of rotating statue, but near the top of it, it appeared to have something like an...eye.

...He didn't want to get near that thing.

He turned and unlocked the door in front of him, then pushed it out of the way and stepped into the new room. The first thing he noticed was that this room was much darker and there were many magnets and moving parts. Right ahead of him was a platform dangling above a pit of - well, nothingness - that rotated around every five seconds. It was a bit alarming, but then, the amount of adrenaline he got from pulling crazy stunts was thrilling and made him want more.

He jumped across the moving contraption and to the other side, where he found himself beside a door. He desperately wanted to explore, but again, he had better do what he could to not get lost. He rolled the door out of the way and stepped inside.

It was warm in the room, but not hot; like a house. He peered inside and saw a Goron there. He panicked for a quick moment before realizing with relief that it wasn't one of the big, tough Gorons. This guy was about a third his height and looked really weak.

"Oh... Ah... The young human. I am pleased to see you make it this far, Brudda..."

Caden blinked, then stepped forward and bowed his head in greeting.

"I am one of the gour elders of the Goron tribe. I am called Gor Ebizo."

"I am Caden," he said with a smile. "I am accomanying the warrior Link, but we have decided to seperate for the time being."

"Well, then, I assume you have heard of the plight of our patriarch."

"Yes, Gor Ebizo."

"Here, take this, Brudda..." He held out a small piece of oddly-shaped metal. It almost looked like a key. "Now... There is one more shard, but seeing you has reminded me of the dangers that line the path to it..."

Wait, what?

One more shard for what?

What dangers?

...What?

"There is something that may help you... A weapon said to have been left in this mine by a hero of old. It is beyond price, and so we have protected it through generations... Now, when our tribe balances on the brink of ruin, it could aid in our salvation. The Hero's weapon is stored safely up ahead..."

"Er...Th-thank you, Gor Ebizo. But may I ask - " He suddenly recieved a nudge in the ribs and a look from Midna that said, 'Please stop talking. I have this under control.' "Um, may I ask what the weapon is?" he covered quickly.

"You'll see very soon. Talk to the guard and take it with you, with the blessing of the Gorons."

"Uh...Thank you. I will be sure to take great care of it." He smiled and headed toward the ladder behind the Goron.

When he was out of sight of him, he glared at Midna. "What was that about?" he whispered.

"Link already got a shard from another Goron. I figured that if you started asking questions, they would think something was up or wouldn't trust you. The pieces make a key that unlocks the room where Darbus is or something. I dunno...don't loose it!" She giggled and disappeared in his shadow.

Caden was too busy talking to Midna to realize where he was now. He'd just stepped into a room, and the door had shut with a _SLAM _behind him. He turned to see a metal gate blocking his way out.

He peered forward and thought he saw a Goron. This must be the room where the ancient weapon was hidden. Whew. He had no reason to be afraid; this guy was friends with those nice Goron elders.

He walked off the metal bridge-like thing and stepped onto some sort of very large, circular platform - which he noted was magnetic. After that, however, he didn't get further before the Goron suddenly straightened up. Despite himself, Caden's heart fled in panic as he saw how large, muscular, and _angry _the Goron looked.

"Whoa... Human?!" he cried. "What business does a human have coming here?! None! No business!"

Oh, Farore... "No, no, you don't understand, I'm here because - "

"This is a forbidden place! I will protect this treasure from you!"

Caden thought for half a second about turning and running, when he remembered that the door was barred and he was stuck.

The Goron leapt from his seating place and onto the platform, and suddenly there was a rumbling and a tilting sensation all around him. Had he just...? Were they...?

The platform wasn't steadily suspended by chains, anymore. No, now it was floating and tilting on a giant pool of lava.

If there was any time to panic, it would be now.

*THIS IS A TRANSITION*

Link felt the panic begin to set in.

He didn't know what he was supposed to feel. His whole life, Link had been trying to feel angry at his parents for abandoning him. But now that he saw them, and _recognized _them...he just couldn't stay angry. He was trying, but all he could feel when he pictured their faces was... love. Comfort. Hurt. But there was no anger or resentment.

What was he supposed to do?

Would it be selfish to go on hating them? Would it be ridiculous to forgive them for everything they put him through? Would it be pointless to make a big deal out of it? Would it be wrong to just forget about it?

Link began to tremble. He couldn't take it - he had to do something. He had to get his mind off of this.

He got up and paced back and forth, slamming his fist on the wall once in a while. When that ceased to entertain him, he pulled out his sword and started swinging it around.

_Don't think. Don't think. Don't think_.

He wished there was an enemy nearby. He wished Ganondorf himself was here so that he could have a good fight. He needed to do something _now_.

He thought for a split second about singing, but then he laughed wryly. Look where _that _had gotten him.

He collapsed against the wall and closed his eyes for a moment, and he realized that he was really tired. Seconds later, he was curled up in a ball on the ground, fast asleep.

*DOES ANYONE EVEN READ THESE?*

Oh dear goddesses...!

What happened to Caden?

Midna continued to stare at him, not believing what she was seeing. She didn't know much about Caden, except that he was very quiet, formal, and peaceful. But that boy in front of her - tossing the giant Goron into a pool of lava quite violently - saying words that would put Link's vocabulary to shame - with an unusual, un-Caden-like grin on his face and a new wrecklessness in his slightly brighter green eyes - that boy was most certainly _not _Caden.

The Goron, to Midna's surprise, seemed to sink into the lava surrounding them and disappear. Caden turned to Midna, smirking victoriously in a way that was very unlike Caden. And while Caden normally had an approachable innocence about him that made him quite attractive, this new Caden was...

...kinda hot.

Kind of _very _hot.

...

...What the hell happened to him?!

They both jumped as they heard a rumbling sound and suddenly saw the Goron launch out of the lava and land on the platform. Anger flashed in Caden's eyes, but his smile became even wider, and he took off toward the Goron.

He kind of reminded her of someone...

It didn't take long for the Goron to cry out in dispair and defeat. "Ugh... That...hurt a lot. Who knew that humans were capable of such feats of strength..."

"Had enough yet?" Caden asked cockily. The Goron groaned.

"...Uh... Maybe...you are...going to see the patriarch of our tribe?"

"You bet your ass I am. And unless you need more 'convincing,' I'd suggest you hurry up and give me that damn weapon so I can _save _your _fucking tribe_."

Midna's mouth dropped open.

"Ah! Of course! In that case, take the weapon of the Hero of the past! B-But it exchange, you must save the patriarch of our tribe!"

"No shit, what did you think was going to do?!"

"M-My apologies, please don't harm me... Right this way..." He stepped aside and gestured toward the door across from them. Caden nodded slightly and they continued on.

"Um, Caden?" Midna asked, hoping he wouldn't get angry.

"What?"

"Have you ever been in a fight before?"

He looked at her strangely for a minute, then gazed forward again.

"Nope."

*THIS IS A TRANSITION*

The next room was very small, but there was plainly a large chest sitting in the middle. Caden walked toward it slowly and carefully opened it. When he peered inside, adrenaline rushed through him and a grin cracked his face.

A bow.

A beautiful, magnificent, powerful-looking hero's bow. And it was all his.

Caden reached inside the chest again for arrows, and quickly equipped himself. He pulled out an arrow, fit it into the bow, took aim at an enemy coming near, and fired.

It hit it dead between the eyes.

Caden smirked at Midna's wide eyes. "You look impressed."

She stared at him dumbly. "Have you ever used a bow before?"

"Yep. That was the only weapon I was allowed to use back in my village."

"Well, you're not too shabby," she said with a giggle. She looked around the room. "Well, I guess your next step should be figuring out how to get out of here."

Caden glanced around. "Oh, piss...We're stuck again, aren't we?"

"Well, that bit of metal in the wall over there looks a bit suspicioius, don't you think?"

Caden followed her gaze. There was a large, metal..._thing _in the wall across from them. They trailed it up and saw that it wasn't actually a part of the wall, but suspended by two pieces of string.

Caden suddenly pulled out his bow and another arrow, aimed, and released. The arrow cleanly struck the string supporting the metal gate, and after a few seconds, it fell with a _CLANG_, serving as a bridge to get across the lava below and to the other side.

Midna just blinked.

*THIS IS A TRANSITION*

When Link woke up, he immediately realized with annoyance that that song was stuck in his head again. He tried to push it away by thinking of other things - Midna seemed effective - but he ended up humming the song without even realizing it. He tried thinking of another song... The tune he whistled for Epona... But somehow he wound up whistling the tune in his head.

After maybe an hour of unsuccessfully distracting himself, he finally gave up and began belting out the song.

"_Day to night, dark to light,_

_ Fall the sands of time._

_ Let the years like the gears_

_ Of a clock unwind_

_ In your mind walk through time_

_ Back to better days._

_ Memories, like a dream,_

_ Wash tears away_ -"

"Link?"

Link blinked and turned his head, then sat up and grinned. "Caden! Midna!"

"You'll never believe what I found," Caden said cockily, reaching behind his back for something. Link eyed him curiously. He sounded a bit...unlike himself.

What Caden pulled out from behind his back was a complete surprise to Link.

A bow!

A real bow!

Link immediately hurried to touch it himself, to feel it in his hands. When he gripped it in his fingers, it felt like it belonged there. He asked Caden for an arrow, and with these things in his possession he felt powerful and deadly. He had no idea how to use a bow (boys in Ordon did not learn to hunt with bows until they were eighteen) but nevertheless, he found himself fitting the arrow and pulling back the string, taking aim at nothing in particular.

He released his grip.

_Zip_!

_Thwack_!

...Damn.

Power surged through him, and Link knew in that moment that he was meant to do this. Parents or no, this was his destiny.

Killing.

Conquering.

It felt good.

Oh, it felt amazing.

"Guess what else I have?" Caden asked, then pulled out two small trinkets from his pocket.

Link blinked in confusion for a moment at the small golden things in his palm, then suddenly remembered the key shard given to him by the Goron Elder, and he reached for his own pocket. "You must have gone through Hell and back to get all this stuff," he said in awe. He didn't know Caden could fight so well. Or at all.

"Damn straight," he replied.

Link blinked.

Then his jaw dropped to the floor and his eyes bugged out of his head.

"_What _did you say?!"

Caden chuckled and tossed him the other two key shards, which fell to the floor, as Link's hands were rendered useless.

Link turned to Midna, hoping she would know what was wrong with him.

She just shrugged. "I guess fighting did it to him. He was perfectly normal until he started fighting this giant Goron guardian thing. Then he started acting like...you."

Link blinked and shook his head, and turned to Caden, who was smirking smugly. What in the name of Nayru happened to him?

"So...he's broken?" Link asked weakly.

"Maybe a nap will set him straight. I hope so. I don't think I can deal with another one of _you_."

"Maybe..."

Pause.

"_HEY_!"

*THIS IS A TRANSITION*

As spontaneous and unlikely as it sounded, taking a nap did, in fact, make Caden turn back to his normal self. When he woke up, his first words were, "I am so sorry!" He spent the rest of the day explaining how rude he'd been acting and how unfair he'd treated everyone. He also promised he would never act that way again; a promise that was sure to be broken soon.

Everything was going smoothly until they happened upon more magnets. Link immediately stopped in his tracks and tensed at the mere sight.

Caden ran into Link and they both tumbled to the ground. Caden was laughing, but Link only managed to chuckle lightly before he got a sick feeling in his stomach and became silent again.

"Link... What is it?"

He swallowed dryly. He could already feel himself flipping upside down, with no way to reach the ground, unable to control where he went, the blood rushing to his head...

"I guess...I'm just c-coming down with something," Link said.

Caden shot him a look that said "_Really_?" Link sighed.

"Caden, if I tell you something, you have to promise not to tell Midna."

"Why...?"

"She would...make fun of me."

Caden smirked and chuckled, but stopped laughing quickly when he saw Link's serious expression.

"Okay, go ahead. I swear I won't tell her."

Link looked at him shyly, took in a deep breath, and said in a rush, "I'mafraidofheights!"

He closed his eyes, expecting Caden to crack up laughing, but to his surprise he heard the words, "I know."

He opened his eyes and relaxed. "You...What?"

"It's a little obvious... You hated being launched by those Gorons, and you can't stand going on these magnets." Link felt his face heat up. "It's nothing to be ashamed of," he said reassuringly. "I know you've probably been called fearless and want to live up to that... But trust me, it's unheard of to be completely fearless. And a fear of heights is especially common."

Link relaxed more. "Really?"

Caden nodded.

"Can you still not tell Midna?"

Caden's expression was unreadable, but after a moment he said, "You're probably right. It would be better not to tell Midna... She's using you, right? She would toss you aside like a piece of garbage if she knew too much about your weaknesses."

Link thought of Midna; her nice smile, her sense of humor, her pretty eyes... and for some reason he grew sad. "She...she would?" Then he thought of her more; her treatment of him, her lies and deception, and the evil hidden in her eyes.

His own eyes hardened, and he frowned.

"I guess she would."

*ALMOST DONE WITH THE GORON TEMPLE THANK GOD*

When they saw the door, they knew they were close.

Already Link's head had been ringing, warning him of an evil presence, and the lack of enemies had made Caden suspicious that Darbus was somewhere nearby.

But the door made them certain.

Link pulled out the now-assembled key and sure enough, it fit right into the lock. There was a small little _click_, and the door rolled violently out of the way.

When they stepped into the room, Link's hands flew up to his ears as a screeching that only he could hear echoed loudly in his head.

"Link, what's wrong? What is it?"

"It's in he - ah! I-It's in here," Link replied shakily, the noise suddenly getting louder.

"Are you okay? What happened?"

"I-It's nothing." Caden looked at him strangely as Link began to make a whimpering sound almost like...a dog.

It was very bizarre.

Link took in a deep breath and shook his head, then opened his eyes and blinked away the noise. He suddenly felt extremely determined. The noise was making him angry, and his anger made him want to fight. He wanted to kill Darbus - no, he didn't just _want _to, he was _going _to, and he would show no mercy in doing so.

Link had pulled out his sword, but he suddenly loosened his grip on the blade as he noticed the giant, black figure in the center of the room. Its arms and legs were chained and its head was slumped, as if asleep.

That poor creature wasn't evil. It was infected with the Fused Shadow. Darbus didn't deserve to die; the creator of the Fused Shadows did. Who wouldn't show mercy to someone who deserved it?

Link was a monster.

They stepped closer to the giant, and it began to breath more heavily. A gem on its forehead suddenly flared up with bright red light, illuminating the room. Link and Caden stumbled back, fear filling them. The giant suddenly screamed and thrashed about, angrier than anyone Link had ever seen. It uttered one deep, throaty scream in their faces before it suddenly burst into flame. Both Link and Caden thought that he would die from the fire, but the flame burned on and Darbus remained unharmed.

"Now that's just fucked up," Link said weakly.

"Um...yeah," Caden agreed.

Darbus flung his arms and the chains snapped so easily it was scary. And just like that, they had a giant flaming monster chasing after them.

The Goron thrashed his arm and the red-hot end of a chain struck Caden, and he fell to the ground.

"Owww," Caden moaned, clutching his arm. He looked up at Link, then suddenly his eyes widened and he yanked Link's arm, causing him to fall on top of him just as the Goron's hand clawed the air where Link's head had been.

"Thanks...You okay?" Link asked, helping Caden up as they both broke out into a run.

"I will be fine," Caden said, though his eyes were glazed with pain.

Link pulled out the bow and shot a few arrows, but the ones he didn't miss did no harm to the beast whatsoever. "What do we do?"

Caden eyed Darbus, examining him as they ran away from him. Then he noticed the chains around Darbus's feet.

"Link, I have an idea. I'll distract him, and you run around behind him. Wear the iron boots so that you won't loose your footing, and then pull the chains around his ankles."

"Oh! And that will make him fall over so that we can hit his weak spot!"

"Exactly," Caden said. They exchanged a smile, and Link chucked his bow and arrows at Caden as he broke out into a run toward his position. Caden caught the weapon and quickly equipped it. Wasting no time, he took aim at the glowing gem on Darbus's forhead - the only apparent weakness he had - and fired his shot.

There was a sickening _thwack _and Darbus cried out in pain, thrashing around. Caden felt himself grinning at the sight of the pain _he _caused, the damage _he _could do.

Suddenly, consequences didn't matter.

"Take that, you bastard!" Caden yelled with a laugh. Link was quick to grab hold of the chains and with a good yank, Darbus collapsed on the ground.

Link had been planning on running toward his head to attack his weak spot, but Caden seemed eager to spill some blood and attacked Darbus himself, so Link stayed put. It was strange and a bit scary to see Caden look so powerful, so bloodthirsty, so full of _emotion_... With each swing of the blade Caden uttered a battle-cry, and Link wasn't used to hearing Caden's voice be so _loud_. Link turned to exchange a glance with Midna, but found that her eyes were glued to Caden and she had an expression on her face most easily compared to the one she'd worn when she'd seen him without his shirt on.

Without quite knowing why, Link grew angry. Angry and sad.

Well so what? Who cared if Midna had a thing for Caden, that was none of his business.

Then again, hadn't Midna compared Caden's other personality to Link's? So if she liked Caden like this, shouldn't she like _him_?

...

...Wait a second, why was he thinking about this right now?

Why was he thinking about this at all?!

Who gave a damn if Midna liked him or not? It's not like he _liked _her or anything...

*OOOH SOMEONE'S JEALOUS*

What the hell was Link doing? He was staring off into space like some fucking idiot! Wasn't he supposed to be some big hero? What was wrong with him?!

Caden threw himself to the ground - doing nothing good for his arm - to narrowly avoid a swipe of the beast's hand. However, he wasn't prepared for when Darbus opened his mouth wide, as if to yawn, and suddenly began to _breath _fucking _fire_. The bastard managed to catch his pant leg on fire, and as he was struggling to put it out, he was thrown to the floor as a chain made contact with his stomach, punching the wind out of him.

Caden rolled out of the way to avoid another swipe from Darbus. Then he quickly pulled out the bow and shot an arrow at Darbus, surprisingly hitting him dead in the center of the forehead, as he cried out, "Dammit, Link!"

Link snapped out of whatever-the-hell and quickly ran to grab the chains at the Goron's feet. He toppled over and, seeing Caden lying on the ground, Link sped toward the giant's head. He knew that there was a person inside this monster, and he knew that it was a bad thing to kill him, but he also knew that courage was about knowing the right time to kill and when to show mercy. Just because he didn't _always _show mercy didn't mean he was a monster.

And this thing needed to die.

His blade sliced through the Goron's skull and it immediately straightened up, thrashing about and screaming in pain. It gripped its skull in pain, then threw back its head and wailed one last time before freezing in place, turning blacker than night.

Link turned to exchange a triumphant smile with Caden, only to see that the boy was unconscious. Panic swelled through him and he quickly bent over to make sure Caden was still breathing. He was relieved when he heard the quick, shallow inhale, exhale, inhale, exhale, of Caden's breath.

His attention was diverted as the frozen black figure suddenly dissolved into twilight matter, then compressed into a Fused Shadow, leaving behind a much smaller figure which fell to the ground and gripped its head, moaning.

The Fused Shadow lowered, and Link subconsciously bared his teeth, barely able to withstand the shrill ringing in his ears.

Midna giggled, suddenly beside him. "Well done!" She grabbed it with her ponytail, and Link - who felt his wolf instincts kicking in - had to force himself not to reach out and grab it.

It flicked back and forth, back and forth, back and forth...

So tempting...

"You know, you've been very helpful so far, so as a reward, I'll tell you an interesting story."

Link nodded half-heartedly, still focused on the ponytail.

"Zant."

The name sounded like a command, and it snapped Link right out of his trance.

"What?"

"That's the name of the King of Darkness who cast this pall of shadows over your world."

"Is he the person that Zelda mentioned...? Ganondorf is using him or something?"

"Yes and no... Ganondorf is using him, in a sense... But Ganondorf is nearly powerless right now. It's Zant we should worry about - He's very strong. You would be nothing to him in your current state..."

Link smiled wryly. "Honestly, I thought Ganondorf was just a legend until a week ago. You really expect me to believe all this?"

She flew so that she was inches from his face. "Look me in the eye and tell me that I'm lying when I say that what happened to your and my world is one hundred percent _true_."

Link could feel his heart beating extremely quickly at how _close _their faces were. They were just inches apart... If he could just...lean forward a little...

Mmm...she smelled nice...

Just another inch...

Wow...she smelled _really _nice...

So close... Yet somehow, not close enough...

Damn! What a smell!

He closed his eyes and took in a deep breath, then another, and suddenly, he couldn't stop smelling that delicious and _interesting _scent. He wanted more, more, more, and he leaned forward to engulf himself in it further. He felt their noses brush, but he barely gave it a second thought because Midna just smelled so _interesting _and he wanted to learn _every detail_.

"What the hell are you doing?"

She pushed him off, but he leaned forward again and buried his face in the crook of her neck, fully emmersed in her scent. "Mmm," he sighed happily. Her smell filled his stomach with a warm feeling.

"Link - Get off! That - ha - tickles!"

Link took in one last giant whiff, then exhaled and pulled away, grinning at her.

"What in the _world _was that all about?!" she asked angrily, her hand flying to the spot he'd sniffed her.

Link just grinned widely at her.

"You smell good."


	15. Chapter 15

Author's note:

This chapter has a bunch of MidLink stuff, JSYK. I hope you guys don't mind, I'm gonna be doing a MidLink thing... And a Link x Ilia thing... And a Caden x...wait I want that one to be a surprise. But yeah. If you don't like shipping stuff or MidLink or anything, you might want to skip the first couple of scenes.

ANYWAY...enjoy! :)

*THIS IS A TRANSITION*

"So..." Link said as they walked along in the cool night air - quite a relief from the hot lava and fire. "Zant is kind of like your king, right?"

Midna frowned. Link could see the pain in her eyes. "Zant will never be my king. I have nothing but scorn for his supposed 'strength.'" She smirked at him. "Not that your Zelda is much better...It still appalls me that this world of light is controlled by that princess."

"Hey! Don't say anything bad about the Princess!"

"What, you got a crush on HER, too?" she said.

Link rolled his eyes, then began to recite; " '_The Hyrule Family is our divine ruler on Earth. Their rules and dicipline are ours to follow. The Princes strenthen us with their wisdom, the Queen blesses us with her grace, and the King leads us all to peace and prosperity_.' "

"Wow, they've brainwashed you, too?" She crossed her arms. "A carefree youth, a life of luxury... How does that teach duty?"

"Carefree? Luxurious?" Link snorted. "The Queen led a battle _herself _to defend her kingdom. Right after her newborn son died, too."

"But she obviously wasn't prepared. She died in that battle!" Link could hear their voices rising.

"So? _Many _people died in that battle! Not to mention she was still mourning the loss of her son!"

"A true queen would have cared more about her country than her own personal matters."

"She didn't do anything wrong. At least she fought! It wasn't _her _fault her son died!"

"What she did is as good as a crime!"

"It's not a crime to love someone!" Link hadn't realized he was shouting, but his voice echoed across the canyons in the mountain. Caden, alseep on Epona, stirred.

"It's not a crime to love someone," he repeated, his voice dropping down to a low mumble. "Love is a wonderful thing. Even if it hurts sometimes."

"Believe me, I know what love is."

*OH, MY FEELS...POOR MIDNA*

Link frowned. All the fights he'd had with Midna so far had left him feeling angry, but it was easy enough for him to calm down and apologize later. This time, though, he felt sad and lonely now that Midna was in his shadow. She obviously had a terrible past, and Link felt awful for bringing it up and causing her pain. He hoped things wouldn't be awkward between them. As strange as if felt to admit it, Link actually enjoyed her company. He was going to miss her when she was gone.

When she was gone.

It hit him hard. He already had two out of three Fused Shadows. One more, and she would leave.

He'd never see her again.

The thought felt like daggers stabbing him in the chest, and he looked up at the moon, surprised to see that it was nearly full. Immediately, he opened his mouth and, knowing he couldn't howl in his human form, began to sing.

He didn't know what he was singing at first, but he could tell it was in a different language. The foreign words and notes rolled off his tongue softly, and though he did not know what anything meant, the sad tune reflected his mood and made it all the easier to sing the song.

He sat down on the ground and continued to sing, the moon begging him to continue. At one point or another, Caden woke up, and he just sat there and listened and watched as the sad boy howled at the moon.

He continued to sing, and Midna eventually left his shadow, intent on telling him to stop being lazy and get going... But she fell silent as she heard him sing.

She didn't understand the words, but whatever they meant, Link was obviously singing it as some sort of apology. He sounded so sad... What could be troubling him so much?

The song came to an end, and he immediately yelled out a string of curses as he heard the startling sound of applause behind him. He turned around and saw Midna and Caden smiling at him, and his face turned bright red at them hearing him sing such a sad, corny song.

"Link, you're _really _good," Caden said.

"Not bad. Why such a sad song?" Midna asked.

Link shrugged. "Oh, you know. Just...worried about Colin," he lied.

"You haven't mentioned Colin at all."

"Well, uh... Other stuff, too."

"Like what?"

"Um...I dunno... All this 'hero' crap is getting me down..."

"And?"

"And, uh... I'm... homesick...?"

"Link."

"Yeah?"

He looked up at Midna, who had a very serious expression on her face.

He looked in her eyes and saw that with her hatred and pain, there was a little kindess mixed in there, too.

She cared about him.

His face turned bright red and he buried his face in his hands. "I'm going to miss you," he mumbled through his palms, hoping Midna couldn't hear.

"You're what?"

"I said..I..." He looked up at her shyly, avoiding eye contact. "I'm going to...miss you."

Midna stared at him wide-eyed. She appeared to think for a minute, in which time Link's face somehow turned twice as bright and found its way back in his hands.

Finally, she said simply, "Let's just not think about it until we have to."

Link thought on this for a moment. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?" he mumbled, then looked up at her. Her expression told him everything.

_I'm going to miss you too._

*OH JEEZUSSSSS MY FEELSSSSSS*

Stupid boy!

That stupid, lazy, impatient, tempermental _light _creature!

She was already far too attatched to the thing, and that is to say, she didn't want him to _die_. But now he was going and telling her that he was going to _miss _her. Making HER miss _him, _too.

Foolish boy!

He knew from the beginning that she wasn't going to stick around. Nothing had changed! She was still going to leave and go home, whether he liked it or not.

...Whether _she _liked it or not.

Stupid, stupid, _stupid_!

She wasn't supposed to make friends. She wasn't supposed to care about him.

No. She didn't care about him. _He _cared about _her_. _He _was going to miss _her_.

...He was going to _miss _her.

Stupid boy.

Stupid boy.

Stupid boy, making her smile.

*D'AWWWWWW...*

When they got back to Kakariko Village, nobody seemed to be outisde. Link wasn't surprised... It was the middle of the night. They were all asleep.

The thought of rest tugged at his eyelids, and he suddenly realized he had no place to sleep. Maybe he could rest in one of these abandonded homes here...

The thought of a soft bed with a warm blanket motivated him, and he hurried toward the spring to talk to the spirit. Behind him, Midna helped Caden dismount Epona.

"Heroic Link..." the Spirit said, its voice echoing, "north of here, across the plain and past the great stone bridge, in the lands guarded by the spirit Lanayru...You shall find the one you seek."

"Not a hero," Link mumbled, but he smiled and nodded anyway.

Then, suddenly, there was a noise behind him. He turned around and was pleased to see everyone standing there, looking at him with smiles on their faces.

Including Colin.

"Link!"

He smiled and ran up to Link, then fell on his knees. Link kneeled down and put his arms around him, helping him sit upright and look at him.

"Are you okay?"

"Ilia... You've got to save Ilia!" Colin said, a determined look on his face. "Those monsters left me with the other kids, but they must have taken her somewhere else!"

"I know, I know," Link said. "I miss her, too." Honestly, the chances that Ilia was alive were... small.

"Whenever I thought I couldn't go on, I would think of you and Ilia and hold on, Link..."

Link smiled down at him, then was surprised as Colin picked himself up and stood, looking down at him with a smile. "See? I... I'm fine now."

Link's surprised expression turned into a smile again.

"Remember what I told you back in Ordon, Link?"

Link thought back to that day... Farore, that day felt like years ago! When he was going to meet Ilia in the spring, and was stopped by the kids... And he'd loaned them his sword, and they let him and Colin through...

_He turned to look at Colin. His blue eyes looked sadly up at him._

"_Thanks...Those guys are always teasing me..."_

"_I know, I'm sorry...If the teasing gets worse, then let me know."_

_He nodded, then looked at the others playing. "What's so fun about swinging something like that around, anyway? I hate it... It's scary..."_

_Link shrugged. "It takes getting used to, I guess."_

_Colin looked up at him. "But when I grow up, I'm gonna be just like you, Link! I don't want to learn about swords or anything, but could you teach me how to ride a horse sometime?"_

_Link smiled. "I'd be happy to."_

"_Can you?! You have to promise!"_

"_I promise."_

Link smiled fondly, remembering that day. Oh, how small his troubles had been at that moment. Him and Ilia... Gods, he missed Ilia...

"So you don't have to worry about me anymore! Go help Ilia!"

"Colin, I want to... But I need to get you guys home, first." _And I'm worried that it's too late to help Ilia... But I would never tell _you _that._

"Leave the children to me," said Renado, walking up to them. "I will watch over them, I swear it. Do not let their fates trouble you. Go to those who need you."

Link smiled sadly. "Thank you," he said with a bow. "I'm sure their families appreciate it."

Renado examined Link. He stared in his eyes, and seemed to look right into his soul. It was kind of creepy.

"In Hyrule, countless tales are told of the ancient hero...and your deeds bring them all to mind," the shaman said.

"_My _deeds...?" Link thought about everything he'd done; rid Faron Woods and Kakariko of Twilight - Well, he saved those people because he didn't want them to be miserable, not because the spirit told him to - retrieved the Fused Shadow for Midna - No, he helped the temple become peaceful again for those monkeys, not for Midna - rid the Gorons of their leader's evil power - only because he was trying to help the village make peace with the Gorons!

"I only did what I thought was right... Does that make me a hero?"

"Many do not have the courage to do what is right."

There it was again.

Courage.

Bravery.

Did everyone really think Link was so fearless? The truth was, he was terrified most of the time he was on his adventures.

"May the graces of the great goddesses who shaped Hyrule bear you on your way."

And with that, Renado, his daughter, and Caden bowed in his direction, keeping their heads down. Beth, Malo, Talo, and Colin looked at each other awkwardly, then bowed themselves.

They were all bowing for _him_...

They were all blessing him for his journey...

He...He didn't know what to say...

All these people believed in him. They thought he was a hero. They thought he was special, that he could save the world where others could not.

He! Link!

A few weeks ago, the thought would have made anyone crack up laughing. The only person who'd ever thought he was brave or made for more than what was handed to him back in Ordon was his old friend Shad... who moved away a long time ago. Since then, he assumed herding goats was all he would ever be meant to do.

And all these people believed in him.

They thought he could save the world.

"...Can I have something to eat first?"

*THIS IS A TRANSITION*

Link stayed in the town for another few days, playing with the kids and exploring. They all marveled at his bow, and he had no problem demonstrating how to use it... though he wasn't as good as Caden. Caden, speaking of which, was still hurt, and though both he and Link wanted him to come along with Link when he left, Renado absolutely forbid it.

The people in the town gave him many things for his journey; Caden loaned him more arrows, a small little Goron who sold things at night gave him a potion of healing, a man named Barnes gave him a bomb bag and some bombs, and he even bought something from little Malo - who had his own shop, somehow - something called a Hawkeye. He had no idea what it did, but it looked really cool.

Eventually, though, the fun came to an end, and he knew he would have to leave. He wasn't exactly excited to go back into twilight, but he did miss being a wolf a bit - especially because he found out that during full moons, his wolf instincts came out and were hard to control. His acute sense of smell and hearing didn't hurt, but it was a bit awkward when he licked people's faces or lapped up water from the spring with his tongue when he was thirsty. Not to mention his urges to sing in the middle of the night, and his constant need for attention.

No, he didn't _want _to go back into twilight, but maybe being a wolf again would remind him just how much he missed being Hylian.

*THIS IS A TRANSITION*

"Mr. Link! WAAAAAAIT!"

Oh hell no.

Oh _hell _no.

Link tugged on Epona's reigns and she slowed to a halt. Link was then greeted with the sound of awkward noises as that creepy mailman came jogging up to him.

"Greetings, Mr. Link!" he said, a bit too cheerfully. "I have come to deliver a letter. Two letters, in fact!" His voice was so damn _squeaky_!

He handed them to Link, who tried to smile, but couldn't quite manage it. "Thanks..." he said.

"Well, my business is concluded! Onward to mail!" And with that he jogged off again, making that awkward noise along the way.

Someone seriously needed to punch that guy in the face.

Link waited until he was completely out of sight before reading his "mail." The first was a letter from Barnes' Bombs, which read:

_Thank you for your patronage! Enjoy the power of our bombs!_

_Not only can you place and thow our bombs, but they can be combined with the bow to create bomb arrows. Try it today!_

Link shook his head. Just an advertisement.

The other was a letter from Kakariko Goods, reading:

_New sundries shop in Kakariko!_

_If you haven't already been by to look, I have an item that isn't available anywhere else! Come by before someone else snatches it!_

_And please, no window shoppers!_

Wait. Was this talking about the Hawkeye? Malo had advertisements for his shop! How cute!

Link continued on through Hyrule field, feeling adventurous and free. Wind whipped through his hair and past his face as he rode Epona fast. He crossed a bridge - careful not to look down - and toward the wall of twilight. He turned back, however, as he saw a portal open in the sky. His eyes widened when he saw the middle of the bridge _dissolve _and warp through the portal to goddesses knew where.

Dammit.

Oh, this wasn't good at all.

Three shadow beings fell from the portal, and Link dismounted Epona to fight them. But the bridge was broken! Now he couldn't get back to Kakariko or Ordon... or anywhere! He loved adventures and new places, but he'd always had that option of going home.

Now he was stuck.

Yes, Midna could always warp him back. But he had to be a wolf to do that. He wouldn't be able to talk to anyone he knew until the bridge was fixed or until he found a new route back home. And either one could take a long time.

Now even more reluctant, Link led Epona to a small pond and tied her to a tree, making sure she could reach the water and the ground. He said goodbye to her and he headed off on his own toward the wall of twilight.

It was becoming harder and harder to keep walking, and eventually, when the wall was within inches of reach, Link could not get any closer. It was like a magnet; they were repelling each other.

"Ah, we're finally here," Midna said, coming out of his shadow. "There's only one Fused Shadow left...So this is the last of the twilight you'll see, I guess."

"Yeah, guess so," Link said, his heart growing heavy at the thought. _No more twilight. No more being a wolf. No more Midna._

"Are you ready to go into the twilight?"

"Yes."

Link closed his eyes and prepared himself for the pain that was sure to come. Midna passed through the wall easily, and soon after, her ponytail came back through the wall and grabbed him. He felt himself be ripped through the wall and tossed to the ground.

He picked himself up, then felt pain rip through him as he transformed. His paws thudded on the ground and Midna was suddenly on his back.

"What a shame that this is the last of the twilight," Midna said. "I had become so fond of seeing it covering this world..." She smiled creepily. "Or... is it really the last you'll see? Eee hee!"

"Wait, what does that mean?!" Link asked, but it came out as a high-pitched bark.

Oh yeah.

"So, shall we get going, then?" She kicked him in the sides and he growled. Was this how Epona felt? He should be nicer to her.

Link wandered through the twilight, running into a few enemies, when he ran across something interesting. There was a small, familiar looking satchel sitting on the ground. It smelled familiar, too.

It smelled _really _familiar.

Link plunged his nose in it, learning every detail of the scent. He knew he'd smelled it before. He was certain this belonged to someone he knew. The more he smelled it, the more homesick he felt.

He took one giant whiff, and suddenly words popped into his head.

"_But, Link... Can you at least promise me this?_" He closed his eyes and saw her face, smiling sadly at him and her eyes shining with unshed tears. His heart hurt when he pictured her.

_"Just come home safely_."

Ilia.

_I'm sorry, Ilia_, he thought._ I broke my promise. I didn't come home safely, and neither did you. We might not ever come home._

"You smell the girl, don't you?" Midna asked. "I can tell by the look on your face."

"Nope, it's a complete stranger," Link said sarcastically, but it came out as _Yip! Yip! Bark_!

Wow. He _already _missed being able to talk.

"I can tell by the look on your face," Midna said. Link didn't know if that was a good thing or bad thing. Shad did used to look pretty stupid when he was drooling over Ilia... Did Link look like that now?

He sure hoped not.

"Good. It's another clue, then. But this scent could be quite old... I wonder if she is still all right? Eee hee!"

_Wow. Way to be a buzzkill, Midna_, Link thought, wishing he could say it out loud.

He continued walking, hoping for the best, when the narrow pathway suddenly broke off and a giant, open field lay before him. A few miles out was Hyrule Castle, magnificent and giant. The sight made his heart skip a few beats with anticipation. It was so _big_... it was hard for a simple farmer like himself to comprehend.

However, the sight was dulled by the fact that it lay pitch black against the pale yellow light in the air. It looked disoriented and horrific in twilight.

"Hey, haven't we seen this castle before? Eee hee hee!"

Link would never forget getting to visit Hyrule Castle and see the princess. That was something that very, very few people got to do. Then again, how many people got to transform into a wolf and find a twili imp companion and save the world from evil?

Yay. Fun.

"So, we finally made it back here," Midna continued. "Well, only a little further, so hang in there!" She smirked at him. "...Or so I'd like to say, but... The going's a lot harder from here on out!" She giggled.

_Way to motivate me, Midna._

Link continued walking through the vast Hyrule field, stopping only now and then to fight and once again feel that beastly satisfaction he got from bloodshed.

Since Link knew that it would be quite hard to _guess _where Ilia had ended up, he decided to try something. He'd seen dogs sniff things out before, and then "follow their noses" to find the source.

With Ilia's scent still in mind, Link dug his nose into the ground and smelled for any small trace of Ilia. Anything that smelled like her... Anything at all...

Ah ha!

That smelled like her!

Wow, that smelled _exactly _like her!

He closed his eyes and let his nose do all the work. The smell was stronger over here, then turned over here, and, ooh, it was much stronger over there... Getting stronger... He must be going the right way...

He kept going and going until he began to get tired... But all he had to do was picture wrapping Ilia in a tight, loving embrace... Saying everything he'd never had the chance to say... Her smiling at him, saying it back... Him leaning closer, her leaning closer... Their noses brushing... Their -

"Link! Watch out!"

Link snapped out of his thoughts and looked around. Farore! He was surrounded by Twili-Bolbins!

He leapt for one, drawing his claws across its skin. But before it had quite died, a Bolbin smacked him in the back of his head with a club. Black spotted his vision and he released his grasp. This unfortunately gave his enemies an opening, and they attacked full force. Though he knew the logical thing would be to scramble out of the way and get to safety, he didn't want to give up so easily. He could kill them. He was Link!

He flipped back onto his legs and despite the constant injuries, began attacking. He bit his teeth into the leg of a Bolbin, then smirked in satisfaction as he fell to the ground. Not wasting a second, he turned around and took down another oponent. He didn't waste time killing them, he just made sure they were injured enough to leave him alone momentarily. He fought through the pain where he'd gotten a few bad hits and tried to hurt them worse than they hurt him. Every time he sunk his teeth into flesh, it only made him more thirsty for blood.

Soon, they all laid dead around him. Link yipped in satisfaction. Good riddance.

"Pretty good," Midna said. "Maybe you're not totally useless after all."

She patted his head in between his ears, and it actually felt pretty good. He felt his tail wagging involuntarily and his tongue hung out of his mouth as he panted. She began scratching him harder and goddesses, it felt nice. He wanted her to keep petting him, but eventually she stopped and he had to keep going.

He would have to fight crazy battles like that more often.

*THIS IS A TRANSITION*

Holy _shit_.

Look at all the _people_!

This place was _gigantic_!

There were _hundreds _of _people_!

So MANY!

Link ran around excitedly, not quite believing how many people lived in Castle Town. Every second a person passed by him. It was amazing!

And the buildings! Houses were everywhere - and made out of brick and stone! The streets were _streets_, not dirt paths!

He wandered further through town, past a giant fountain - a _fountain_! - and down a large, vacant pathway. There were giant doors that led to the castle, and though now that he thought about it, it was probably a good idea to see Zelda, the doors were shut tight and guarded by two guards.

Guards!

This place had guards patrolling the _streets_!

It was amazing!

Link shook his head and turned around. He needed to focus. He had to find Ilia. More important (technically) was finding the Spirit Lanayru and getting rid of twilight to save the world.

...But he wanted to find Ilia first.

He followed his nose again, which led him down an allyway and toward a building, which had a sign that read "Medical Clinic." Link's heart thudded in his chest and he grew panicked. Ilia was in a clinic? Was she okay? What happened?

He sniffed all around the area and hope sparked in him as he found another trail of scent, this one much stronger. He followed this scent, hoping it was more recent. He turned corner after corner, rushed past houses and all the while the scent was getting stronger. She was close. She had been here mere minutes ago. She was _alive_.

His nose led him to an allyway and down some steps, where there was a large, unique area that led to a building of some sort. He walked up to the door, which, luckily, was cracked open. A sign next to the door read: "Telma's Bar: Open".

Link quickly ran through the door and into the bar. There were lots of people there, but he could smell Ilia nearby. He scanned the room, searching for her face, her hair, her smile...

Then he saw her.

Oh Gods.

It was Ilia.

It was Ilia!

Link barked and barked and ran around in circles and then ran over to her, wanting so badly to be a Hylian and have her be able to see him and to wrap her in his arms and tell her how he'd missed her. If he could just hold her... He might never let her go.

He rested his head on her lap, and though he could feel her, she didn't even know he was there. He wanted so badly for her to be here - or him to be there. It didn't matter to him at this piont if he was just a spirit wandering through twilight, unaware. He just wanted Ilia.

"...the incident the soldiers were talking about in back," someone nearby said as he snapped back into reality. He looked up. Next to Ilia was a large woman with very... Well, with a very _low-cut _shirt.

"The doctor had better hurry up," Ilia said, leaning forward on her stool. In front of her was a table on which lay a small Zora boy. The Zora were water-creatures. It was strange for one to not be near his home. He must be very sick.

Oh, Ilia. Caring as always. She must have found this poor boy and tried to get help for him. She was so sweet and caring, the way she had always been. He set his head back down on her lap and began to whine. Didn't she miss him at all? Did she only care about that Zora kid?

"Aw, what an emotional reunion!" Midna giggled. "Yes, a girl and her wolf! Sorry, but you know how it goes! These folks can't see you, either! Eee hee hee!"

She kicked his sides to get him going. He sighed and hesitantly left Ilia's side, silently promising to come back soon.

He heard the soldiers talking in back as he left.

"...citizens who can't send prayers to the spring spirit..."

Link stopped in place.

Wait, what?

People couldn't get to the spring spirit?

But _he _needed to get to it!

He turned around and ran to the soldiers, soaking up every word they said.

"Lake Hylia is having problems, so I need you all to go there! We've been having so many complaints recently. We need this dealt with!"

"But, sir, we've never been to Lake Hylia."

"The location is the one I showed you on the map earlier! Got it?!"

The shortest soldier shook his head fervently.

"_What_?! Study it and know it well!"

The soldiers walked over to a table with a large map laid across it. Link took a peek as well, examining the map. Oh, there was Ordon! Oh, Ordon... And near that was Kakariko... and... ah ha! That's Castle Town, where he was now! Oh, wow... That was quite a ways to go before he got to the spring spirit... Though, he supposed, nothing compared to what he'd walked so far.

"I've received orders from above to investigate why we can't go to the spirit's spring in Lake Hylia! Got that?!"

The short soldier shook his head "no" again.

"_What_?!"

*THIS IS A TRANSITION*

"...Hey, do you smell anything funny?"

Link sniffed the ground. Huh. It did smell weird. He looked around and beneath his paws he saw something...wet looking. Something shiny. But it wasn't water. In fact, it wasn't just under him, but strewn all over the bridge he was walking on.

Weird.

Suddenly, he heard a noise like an arrow whizzing by. But it clearly wasn't meant for him. It soared over his head and all the way to the other side of the bridge. Something looked off about the arrow...

Oh Gods.

It was on fire.

Fire erupted behind him, and he broke out into a run. Before he made it to the other side, the damned Bolbin had lit fire to the other end of the bridge.

Oh damn.

Oh Gods and Goddesses help him.

He was stuck.

"Oh no! We're trapped! Get out of here!" Midna cried.

_How_?! Link thought angrily, running back and forth. There was no way. Fire was on either side of him. His only option was...

...No.

Not in a million years.

Gods no. There was no way in _hell _he was going to...

But he didn't have a choice!

He timidly looked over the edge of the bridge.

Link suddenly felt his stomach lurch as he saw_ just how high up _they were. Farore, the ground was so far away... He would surely die if he jumped. _If _he jumped.

But upon further inspection, Link noticed a pool of water directly below him. It looked small, but he supposed it was bigger than it looked from so high up.

I mean, he was _really _high up.

Oh Gods.

Okay. He might survive. But there was no way he was jumping.

The fire was getting closer.

What should he do what should he do what should he do.

He shook his head. No. He had to push through the fear. He had to think rationally. The world was depending on him, right? He had to jump. Not for his own safety, but for Ilia, the kids, Caden... Everyone else living in the world. Especially here, in Lanayru.

Link's legs began to tremble, and he became lightheaded, but before he gave it another thought, he jumped.

Oh Din. He just jumped.

Did he _really _just jump off a bridge?!

Wind whipped through his fur and made his eyes watery. Gods, he was crazy! He was fucking insane! NOBODY else in the UNIVERSE would be stupid enough to do this! And yet here he was!

Couldn't Midna have just warped him? Was he really so stupid? Why did he jump off the bridge?! The water wouldn't be enough to save him, he could die on the way down! Why did he think this was a good idea?! Oh gods oh gods oh gods...

Pain slapped him in the face - and everywhere else on his body - as he made contact with the water's surface. He sunk a good few feet under, and, already out of breath from falling, he scrambled to get a breath of air. He made it to the surface just in the nick of time and gulped in air.

He hurried to swim to the edge and he collapsed, shaking.

Din, Farore, and Nayru.

What did he just do?

"Phew...That was a close one. We're lucky there was a puddle down below, huh?"

Bitch.

"So this is Lake Hylia... But there's so little water..."

Link blinked and looked around. This was Lake Hylia?! No wonder the soldiers were recieving complaints about this place! This was supposed to be the largest lake in the world! But this was the size of a lake back in Ordon! This was smaller than the Kakariko Spring! Although this was much deeper...

Link took in a deep breath, still shaken, then gazed around underwater. Man, it was really deep. There had to be something hidden under there...

"It sounds like the spirit's spring should be somewhere around here as well... Anyway, let's take a look around..."

For the first time, Link looked around at the land. Instantly, he noticed a few glowing orbs - people - floating around. His senses flared and he noted that they were Zoras. Zoras were water-people. They could speak and walk like people, but they had a distinct blue color and had fins and webbed hands and feet, like fish. They were fastinating, but Link had never seen one before.

He felt sorry for them. They relied on water. If this place was Lake Hylia, they were in trouble.

Link listened in on their conversation, eager for information.

"The drop in water has been faster than predicted..." one of the Zoras said. This one had a large axe-like staff which it held in hand.

"At this rate, Lake Hylia will dry up," agreed another, this one female. "It's a race agaisnt time... We've had absolutely no water flowing from upstream."

Another Zora stepped in. "There's no mistaking it. Something must have happened at the water's source in our home, Zora's Domain."

Zora's Domain. Zora's Domain. He'd need to figure out how to get there and help out. These guys looked absolutely miserable.

"Yet how are we to return upstream to our home? With the way things are now, we can't even _walk _back there..."

Hmmm...

There HAD to be a way to help them...

The Zoras' conversation ended, and Link decided to explore some more. He walked along what he assumed used to be a lake bottom, but was now dry land. In the distance he saw another person, and when he got close enough, he saw he was an old, grouchy-looking man in bright colorful clothes and sad clown-makeup standing next to a giant machine of some sort. It looked kind of like a... canon.

"Hurrrm..." he grumbled to himself, "I'm too old for this... Fyer and Falbi's Watertop Land of Fantastication... It's our grand reopening at our new lake-bottom location... Whee."

Well.

He didn't sound very excited.

Link thought it sounded kind of cool. Maybe. A little. Sort of.

"Hurrrm," he moaned again. He looked out across the lake - or what was left of it. "Yeah, nice lake... Don't lakes have more...I don't know...water?" He shook his head, then looked up at a hole in the cliff way up high. Link followed his gaze. "Did the Zoras who live upriver do something?" He shifted his gaze to a peculiar stone area to the left. "Or is it a curse from that spirit that floats around up there?"

The spirit!

The spirit lived up there!

THAT'S where he needed to go!

He looked around for a place to get there as the man ranted quietly to himself behind him. Suddenly, Link jumped a foot in the air as the man screamed extremely loudly, "YIKES! IT'S A MONSTER!" right in his ear.

"Farore," Link said, knowing it would come out as a bark. He turned and saw a Twili-Bulbin and shook his head. Those guys were old news.

He decided some fighting practice wouldn't hurt, and he probably had a few arrows on him that Midna could hold for him while he was a wolf. He ran over to the beast, but before he had a chance to attack it, he saw it holding something very familiar looking. A piece of grass. Strange.

He put it to its lips and blew, and an eerily familar tune wafted past his ears as panic flew threw him. Oh shit...

That was the Hawk-grass!

Damn!

Who knew what kind of messed up creature could show up instead of a hawk...

Sure enough, a giant black _thing _with wings came soaring from the sky and as it landed, the Bulbin hopped on top of it. Then it took off again, but instead of flying away, it flew in circles around Link.

He didn't know what to do! He couldn't reach that thing...

Suddenly, it soared right at him and before Link had time to react, it picked him up in its feet and flew high into the air.

Oh gods please help him.

Link closed his eyes tightly and tried not to think about how high up he was. He was safe as long as the bird held onto him. He was okay. He was okay. Shhh. He was okay.

Suddenly, he felt the bird's grip loosen, and suddenly he was plummeting through the air.

Fuck!

Ah!

Help! Help! HELP!

He hit the ground.

Ow. Pain.

He picked himself up and wimpered. Ow. That actually hurt pretty badly. He needed a fairy right about now.

The bird was soaring at him again, and Link managed to jump and cling onto it. He bit it and clawed it and caused any damage he could. The bird bucked the Bolbin off of it and Link hopped down, going after the Bolbin.

Once it was dead, Midna flew off his back and onto the Twili-Bird's.

"Hey! Stop it!" she cried as it tried to fling her off, but she managed to hold onto it and get it to calm down. "I'm your new master now! Settle down!" She looked at Link. "Hey! Why don't we use this guy to get us all the way to the lake's water source?"

Link blinked, then gulped. Uh oh. He didn't like where this was going.

Before he had time to scramble out of the way, the bird's feet had taken hold of him again and he was in the air, suspended. Gods, he was so high, this was terrible, oh goddesses what should he do...

Through the jumble of thoughts and fears running through his brain, he formed one phrase that made sense.

_I hate you, Midna!_


	16. Chapter 16

"Oh...hey... What's going on here?"

Link shivered once again as he stepped onto a piece of ice with confusion. Why was it so _cold_? Everything was frozen over! What happened?!

"I thought it was getting colder..." Midna said. _You don't say? _Link thought. _You only complained about it a _million _times... _"But who would have thought that it would all be frozen?!"

There Link had to agree. Why in the world was it frozen? Were the Zoras okay? How could he help them with all of this?

"This is the Zora village, right? Why don't I see any, then..."

_Because they're frozen, dumbass! _Link growled to himself.

"Well... Anyway, let's check things out. Let's find the Zoras..."

Link continued walking. At one point, however, he realized that he was stuck in a small, circular area with no way up. All he could see was a frozen waterfall in the middle of the room, but there was no way to climb it.

Suddenly, Midna giggled and flew off of his back. Oh Farore... Her ponytail was out...

"We can get up here," she said, flying above a small platform of ice. Link gazed around, then saw what she meant. He would be able to hop up some platforms along the frozen waterfall. No way he could make it without some motivation, though... Such as Midna's ponytail.

Which was flicking back and forth and was very tempting, by the way.

Link jumped for it, thinking he could catch her... But no, she managed to fly away at the last second. Well then, he'd just have to try harder.

Back and forth, back and forth, back and forth...

Link jumped again, then again, then again, then...

...then his paw slipped.

He went tumbling over the edge of the platform, but managed to hold on with his front two paws. His heart fled as a few chips of ice broke off next to him. He watched them fall and hit the ground way, way below.

Oh shit...

Oh shit oh shit oh shit oh shit oh -

His paw began slipping.

Oh shit oh shit oh shit...

Link looked up at Midna, his eyes silently begging for help. But who was he kidding? She wasn't going to help him...

Ponytail...

Back and forth, back and forth...

Flick, flick, flick, flick.

He could get it. He had to get it. Oh, it was so interesting, the way it went back, and forth, and back and forth...

He picked himself back up onto the platform and lunged for her, barely missing her. Then he jumped again, landing on solid ground right as a huge chunk of ice fell from the ceiling past him, brushing his fur. He jumped for her one more time, and suddenly, he was on a pathway again.

He'd done it. Thank Din that was overwith. He didn't know how he hadn't died of fright by now.

*THIS IS A TRANSITION*

_So_, Link thought as he caught his breath, _where are the Zoras?!_

He'd walked into a small, circular area which looked like the Zora's domain. But the Zoras weren't anywhere! He didn't see them frozen in the ice around the walls. Nobody was there. Where did they all go?!

"So, you finally opened a portal," Midna said as the Shadow Beasts that Link had just killed dematerialized into a portal above them. "If you want to breathe the air of the world of light for moment, let me know. I'll take you there!"

Link walked around a little bit, but he didn't see anything. There were seriously no Zoras _anywhere._

"Whoa! Hey!" Midna suddenly cried out. "Down! Look below the ice!"

Link looked down, but didn't see anything. Hmm. Maybe if he used his senses...

They flared, and he jumped as all of a sudden, he saw them, hundreds, thousands of Zoras under the ice, frozen in the middle of swimming up to safety. Most disturbing and upsetting was the fact that some of the Zoras were mere inches away from the surface. A few faces could be seen through the bare surface of the ice. Inches away from the surface.

Inches away from safety.

"Those... Those are the Zoras!"

How...?

How had this happened?

"Wow... This is really strange... What do you want to do? We can't just leave them like this... I think all we need to do is thaw them out."

Thaw them...?

"The portal should work for us. We need to find a way to melt the ice and then come back here..."

What was hot and large enough to thaw them? What could melt all of this?! He could...set it on fire... Maybe if a meteor landed in here or something...

Wait...

A meteor!

He looked back at Midna, barking to get her attention. "You want to warp?" He nodded, and she pulled out a map. He licked the spot he wanted to warp to, and she eyed him curioiusly.

"Death Mountain? Back to the _Gorons_?

*THIS IS A TRANSITION*

"Hmm. I guess you're not as stupid as I thought," Midna said, flying off his back and toward the giant rock that was still in the middle of Death Mountain. "This thing has been here for a while now, but it's still pretty hot..."

Link's tail wagged, and with that she warped them back to the Zora's Domain. When Link first made it back into the twilight, he felt intense pressure and fear that took some getting used to. After a few seconds, he looked around and saw that instead of ice, water ran this way and that around the room. Even in twilight, the place seemed beautiful and somehow happier with the water trickling about.

More than that, he now saw Zoras about - some were standing, but others were sitting, and still others were collapsed on the ground, weak. Link felt bad for them. He wished he was a human so that he could help them.

Still better was the fact that now, the lake would become large and grand again. And with all the flowing water, now he could get to the spirit.

"Who knew that something so dangerous would come in handy..." Midna said. "All right... The Zoras are safe now, so let's go."

Link rolled his eyes. Trust Midna to only think of herself. Still, Link agreed. He should waste no time in ridding this place of twilight.

Link turned to leave, but he was stopped by a voice.

"Wait!"

Link turned, and his eyes widened. A beautiful Zora woman stood there, except... She wasn't standing. She was _floating_. And she wasn't opaque, either. Was she a... ghost?

"Please, you must allow me to thank you forrevitalizing both my people and this spring, which is the water source for all the lands of Hyrule."

She was very pretty.

"In life, I was the elder of this Zora village and the queen of my people. I was called Rutela."

Link walked closer to her, never breaking his gaze. Midna looked at him strangely.

"The dark ones... They raided this village and, as a message to my people, executed me before them."

She floated closer to the ground and looked him right in the eye. Wow, she was pretty...

"Young man... You who take the form of a proud beast..."

How... How did she know?

"When the dark ones descended upon our village, I sent my young one, Ralis, to Hyrule Castle to inform Princess Zelda of our fate. But...I fear danger followed him from this doomed place. I feel it. His presence grows fainter to me over time..."

So, she wanted him to go find Ralis and help him?

"But my time in this world has passed, and though I would give it gladly, I no longer have a life to risk in his rescue. Please... Would you save my dearest, Prince Ralis?"

He called it.

He totally called it.

He wanted to help but... Why _him_? Why did he have to help everybody?! He was so busy already, and he had his own personal troubles to worry about on top of that. Now he had another thing to do. Perfect.

"If you do this thing, I will bestow upon you the protection of water. This power will grant you the ability to swim and respire in very deep water as if you were a Zora."

Hmm.

Well.

Maybe he'd get around to helping out that Ralis kid.

"Please... Save my son..."

With that, she faded away. Link lowered his head, and he suddenly felt bad. He was being selfish. She wanted her son to be safe, and all he cared about was getting some stupid powers.

Breathing underwater!

Come on, that sounded pretty cool.

"What were you staring at?!" Midna asked.

What?

Didn't Midna see her too?

Wait...

What?

"Freak," Midna mumbled, then stretched and yawned, as if telling him to hurry up. Link wasn't seeing things, was he? He would't be surprised after all the shit he'd gone through. Actually, he was surprised that he hadn't gone crazy already.

He turned and left, but realized that now there was a waterfall where the ice platforms had been. And there was no way down but to...

...jump.

Oh... Farore...

There was no way he was going to...

He made the mistake of looking down, and he instantly felt lightheaded. While he was distracted, he felt Midna kick him, and his paw slipped and he went tumbling over the edge.

*THIS IS A TRANSITION*

At some point on the way down, he must have passed out, because he woke up on some stone steps.

Mmm... He was so comfy...

Ugh, but he was cold...

He shivered and curled up tighter, and he realized he was wet. His eyes suddenly snapped open and he sat upright. Where was he? He shook himself dry and gazed around.

Woah... Wait a second...

These were the stone steps leading to the Spirit! Had the water risen _that much _that _fast_? Damn...

"You're finally awake," Midna said, sounding a bit annoyed. "Look! We got washed all the way down to Lake Hylia, just as I predicted..."

Link yawned and stretched, blinking the sleep out of his eyes. Then he made his way into the cave which housed the Lanayru Spirit.

Inside, sure enough, was a feeble looking spirit floating in the center of a circular room filled up halfway with water.

Link walked to the end of the pillar he was standing on and toward the spirit, looking up at it with affectionate eyes. He wanted to help this spirit, and the rest of the light world, become...well, _light _again.

"I am...the last of the spirits of lgiht...consumed...by twilight..." Its voice echoed in his mind, weak and fragile. "Hero... Chosen one of the gods... You have...done well to make it this far..."

Link had to fight back from growling. When were they going to give this up? They couldn't pretend that he was the hero forever. There was no way the gods and goddesses chose _him _to save the world. I mean, come on. This was _Link_.

"Gather...my scattered Tears of Light...that were stolen by shadow... Gather them...in this..." Midna caught the Vessel of Light as it flew down toward them. "I am sure...you know by now...the forms...that these dark insects take...when they steal...our light..."

He did. And he couldn't wait to make them bleed. Cause them pain for all the pain they'd caused the world of light.

"Collect...my light... Lift the final cloud of twilight...that threatens to cover...all of Hyrule..."

All of Hyrule...

When he put it like that, it _did _sound like he was saving the world.

...

...But he still wasn't a hero!

*THIS IS A TRANSITION*

_Turning back times of old...Time never stops its flow...Requiem of Spirit glows..._

Man, that song was stuck in his head... It was like he could hear it, someone whistling it nearby. Gods, he wanted to find it and sing along. He couldn't exactly sing in his wolf form, but...

Hey!

It was a Howling stone!

He ran toward it, and sure enough, he heard a familiar tune whistling through it. Without a second thought, he sat down, closed his eyes, and howled his heart out.

When he opened his eyes, he found himself sitting on a clifftop in nighttime, a giant moon above him. On another cliff across from him was the white wolf, staring at him expectantly. Link knew he had to start it off.

He took in a deep breath and howled again. After a few beats the other wolf began singing against him. He could practically hear instruments playing with them. The whole thing sent chills up his spine.

As they continued howling, he felt a warm feeling swell in his chest. With that warm feeling, however, came a hollow and empty one. This song felt so familiar. When he heard this song in his mind, he heard a woman's voice. His mother's.

She must have sung this song as a lullaby to him.

The pain in his heart became acute, and he almost stopped howling. He'd once had a normal life. He'd once had lullabies and a cradle and a mom and dad... Maybe a sister or brother or cousin... He wondered if Link was even his real name?

After a while the song ended. Their voices still echoed across the canyons, and was amazed at the effect of their voices.

The wolf opened its mouth and barked quietly. Though the sound still sounded the same as when he was a Hylian, he somehow was able to understand what the wolf was saying.

"Let teachings of old pass to you... Take sword in hand and find me..."

And with that, the wolf jumped off the cliff.

Link closed his eyes, and when he opened them, he found himself back in front of the Howling stone, Midna on his back once again.

He decided to continue going through the area, looking for bugs. He passed by two Zoras, but stopped to hear their conversation when he heard "Prince Ralis."

"Do you think he passed through here?"

"He must have. This is the only waterway that connects to Hyrule Castle."

"Come. Let's follow this path in search of him."

Link watched them swim downriver into a tunnel which would no doubt lead them to Hyrule Castle. Link thought for a moment, then something came to mind. Hyrule Castle was in the twilight too, right? So what if some bugs were down that way?

Link jumped in the water, letting it carry him downstream. It took him a few minutes to get to Hyrule Field, but he eventually was able to climb out of the water and make his way across the field and toward the castle. He was stopped by some shadow beasts near the castle gate, but he killed them easily with Midna's help.

He continued past the giant double doors and suddenly, he found himself in the bustling town that he loved so much. Damn, he couldn't wait to be a human again so he could talk and meet people and make friends. He could buy stuff from shops and play games and ooh! He could even buy a house!

...Well, he still wanted to go back home... Didn't he?

He shook his head. First thing was first. Clear the twilight. He was here to look for bugs.

He didn't sense any nearby, so he kept walking. Even though the place was so big, he felt his feet carrying him somewhere. He realized where he was right as he heard something buzzing behind him. He turned around and attacked the bug, sinking his claws deep inside the thing. It shriveled and died in a burst of light, leaving behind the tear of light.

Link closed his eyes and felt for bugs, which the Vessel of Light allowed him to do, but there were no more.

He barked to get Midna's attention, but she looked at him strangely. "What's going on? There should be one more... Where could the last tear be?"

Oddly enough, Link suddenly felt the presence of a bug, way down in Lake Hylia. But it was weird... It felt strangely powerful for being so far away.

Something fishy was going on... (and it wasn't just the fish in Lake Hylia...)

...No pun intended...

*INSERT TROLL FACE HERE*

Thunder rattled his bones and he looked around curiously, but he didn't see anything. Oh damn, he cold feel it, it was nearby, it was _powerful_. But he didn't SEE it.

Suddenly, something electric zipped across the water. Sparks flew this way and that. But as quickly as he'd seen it, it had disappeared again. He looked all around, this way and that. Nothing.

Finally it occured to him to use his senses. When he did, he almost screamed at the sight of a giant - I mean GIANT - bug. How were those wings keeping it in the air?! Those wings were huge, but the bug was _GIGANTIC_.

Link stumbled backwards as it flew toward him. He dodged it and got out of the way, but as the bug slowed to a halt near the ground, Link lunged for it. He bit it, sunk his claws into it. As disgusting as it was... He needed to kill it.

It flung him off of it and dove into the water. It began swimming in the water around him, getting further and further away.

Suddenly, it charged toward him, and he barely managed to get out of the way. Instantly, he spun around and jumped at it, attacking it again. This time, when he was flung off of it, it fell into the water and floated to the top, belly up. Link jumped on top of it and began attacking, hitting leg after leg and sinking his teeth into its gut.

Link jumped off of it as it screamed, curling up into a ball. Then it suddenly burst into twilight, leaving behind the very last tear of light that Link would ever see.

Once collected, he felt Midna warp him back to the Spirit Spring. Except now, he stood there as a human.

He would never be a wolf again.

"You make sure to get that last Fused Shadow, now!" Midna said with a giggle. She was just a shadow again. "Eee hee hee! See you later!" She disappeared into his shadow.

Suddenly, the water in the room lit up brightly, and the light spirit suddenly appeared, a giant serpant of some kind. It stretched and swam about in the water, probably waking up from having been clouded by twilight for so long. It circled around and came to face him directly.

"My name is Lanayru," it said, its voice sounding much more powerful. "Your efforts have at last restored each of us light spirits in Hyrule. O hero chosen by the gods..." - Link's eye twitched - "The dark power that you seek... It waits in a temple set in the bed of Lake Hylia. But before seeking it, you must now bear witness to something...and never forget it."

Link nodded, not quite sure what he was going to be seeing.

"You must know that it was the will of the goddesses that we lock away the forbidden power..."

"The one that I'm looking for?" Link asked.

The Spirit didn't answer directly. Instead, Link felt the world around him fading and suddenly, he was somewhere else. He was nowhere. He couldn't see anything... Was he floating? What was going on?

Then he heard a voice. The Light Spirit.

"When all was chaos, the goddesses descended and gave order and life to the world."

Suddenly, three lights appeared. One was a brilliant red, and it shot across the sky - or air - or whatever was around him. A dark, oceanic blue followed, as well as a stunning green.

"They granted power equally to all who dwelt in the light, and then returned to the heavens," Lanayru continued. A small field of grass suddenly appeared as the orbs of light shot past an area ahead of him. "The lands where the goddesses descended came to be known as the Sacred Realm."

Link saw something by the grass... Ilia! No, not just Ilia... Someone was standing next to her... Hey, he was wearing Link's old clothes... It actually looked a bit like Link himself...

Wait a second...

_Oooh_.

It _was _him.

His look-alike and Ilia's look-alike exchanged a glance, smiling at each other. The three goddesses suddenly came together to create a giant, golden symbol that looked very familiar.

Link rubbed the back of his hand.

_"You are destined for great things..."_

_You don't know the half of it, Grandma_, Link thought.

"For ages, the people lived at ease, content in mind and body," the spirit continued. "But soon, word of the Sacred Realm spread through Hyrule, and a great battle ensued."

Link looked at the Ilia-look-alike. She was holding something in her hand, and Link was surprised to see that it was a knife. He felt a sick feeling in his gut as he saw that his look-alike had drawn his sword. He closed his eyes and heard Ilia scream. Her dagger clattered to the ground. Link opened his eyes and no longer saw Ilia, just his own look alike, who began running toward the patch of grass - the Sacred Realm.

Suddenly, beside the triangular symbol, three dark figures appeared.

"Among those living in the light, interlopers who excelled at magic appeared." Link looked closer at the three figures. F-Farore! They looked exactly like him... Except their clothes and hair and skin were all black as night. The only thing that wasn't pitch black was their eyes, which glowed red with no pupil.

"Wielding powerful sorcery, they tried to establish dominion over the sacred realm."

A strange looking object appeared, almost as large as the patch of grass itself. It was dark and had an odd but very familiar shape.

Midna...

Midna's helmet! That thing was the same shape as Midna's -

Wait a second.

The Fused Shadows...

The object - The Fused Shadow - covered up the golden symbol, and Link felt a kind of insane fear wash over him. Those three dark beings might not have access to that magic, but they were making sure nobody did.

The three extended their hands and suddenly, and his look-alike screamed in pain and vanished. Now, one of the three dark people had color. He... he looked exactly like Link.

They smirked at each other, looking accomplished. Suddenly, however, the three light spirits appeared, and the people frowned, looking around at them.

"It was then that the goddesses ordered us three light spirits to intervene," Lanayru continued. "We sealed away the great magic those indiviuduals had mastered."

The Fused Shadow disappeared, leaving behind only the grassy field. Link noticed something as his new look-alike screamed, and the three dark Links were sealed away and disappeared.

The golden symbol wasn't there anymore.

Suddenly, he felt himself standing back in the spirit's spring. But though he was in his body, he couldn't move.

"You know this magic..." the spirit said. Floating above him were the Fused Shadows, four of them. "It is the dark power you seek...the Fused Shadow." The Fused Shadows floated around his head, taunting him. Just out of reach.

Suddenly, blackness washed over him again, and there was nothing there except the Spirit's voice.

"O hero chosen by the goddesses... Beware..."

Link jumped as suddenly, right in front of him, Ilia appeared, upside-down. She was giggling, but it didn't seem right. Something felt totally out of place. She slowly spun around and descended, and Link felt a sick and twisted insanity in the back of his mind. This wasn't right. Something was going awry.

"Those who do not know the danger of wielding power will, before long, be ruled by it."

More Ilias appeared, some far away, some close. They were all falling, giggling, and it was driving him crazy. Giggling, giggling, falling forever...

Ilia...

He was sacrificing her by going after the Fused Shadows...

He was putting her, and everything he cared for, in danger...

It was his fault.

His fault...

His fault...

"Never forget that.."

Suddenly, Link gasped and cried out as he gained control of himself again. He was standing in the spring, back to normal. Awake. Alive.

Ilia...

He felt lightheaded. What danger was he putting everyone in by searching for these Fused Shadows? He was being so...so selfish...

His collapsed on his knees, breathing deeply, trying to calm down. He barely heard the spirit as it said one final thing.

"The dark power that you eek is within the sleeping Lakebed Temple in Lake Hylia..."

So... he...

What did that spirit want him to do?

Gods, he didn't know...

He gazed around the empty room. He had to make a decision somehow. If he went after the Fused Shadows, he was putting the people he loved in danger. But he was also putting everyone in danger by keeping Midna with him, and the twilight...

But this decision was his. He was all alone in this.

...All alone.

*THIS IS A TRANSITION*

"So... What do I have to do?"

"You climb in the cannon, and I launch ya."

Link laughed nervously. "Launch me to where, exactly?"

The man pointed up to a small little platform way high up on the rocky cliff edge. Link's mouth went dry.

"And you expect me to _pay _to do this?" he yelled angrily, grabbing the rupee out of the man's hand and storming away.

"Link, what's wrong?" Midna asked, flying out of Link's shadow.

"I just... I don't want to, you know...fly out of the cannon. It's just so... so high."

She smirked. "Is someone a wibble afwaid of heights?"

Link blushed, but he didn't say anything.

She blinked. "Wait... seriously? YOU'RE _afraid _of...heights?"

"_Back off_, all right?!" He bit his lip. "It's not like I'm the only one in the _world _who would be scared of being launched out of a damn _cannon_."

"Hey, I didn't mean it like that." She flew up to him so that their faces were inches apart. Link felt his face heat up even more, but he wasn't sure why. "You're the bravest, most fearless person I've ever met." His face grew somehow warmer. "I just didn't expect you to be stopped by something like a little high ground."

"You think I'm fearless?" He sighed and looked down at the ground. "Being brave doesn't mean I'm not afraid of anything. It just means I'm stupid enough to try it anyway."

She laughed a little. "Then how about you go try launching yourself out of a cannon, Stupid."

Link sighed, then looked up at Midna and smiled.

*THIS IS A TRANSITION*

"Ohmygodsohmygodsohmygods," Link chanted under his breath, his heart running marathons. "I'm gonna die I'm gonna die..."

He closed his eyes and clenched his fists. The music playing from outside the cannon was taunting him. It was way too cheerful.

His hands wouldn't stop shaking. He could barely stand up.

"I can't fucking do this, I can't fucking _do this_," Link mumbled, his head spinning. This was terrifying. He wasn't even in the air yet, and he was fucking petrified. The worst part was he didn't know when he was going to -

"AAAH!"

He was in the air! Oh gods, help help help help help...

His voice never faltered as he screamed as loudly as he could. He was certain he was going to die, but he didn't care, he wanted to die, he would rather be dead because he couldn't fucking feel any ground and he could just keep falling forever and ever and he had no control and couldn't move and -

Pain. Pain, sweet pain, as he hit hard, solid ground.

"F-fuck..."

He lied there for a few minutes, shaking uncontrollably. He tried to sit up, but he collapsed on the ground again, feeling weak. After a long while, he finally managed to get up and run a hand through his hair.

"You okay, big guy?" Midna asked, suddenly next to him.

He let out a shaky breath, then tried his best to smile. "What was I doing again? Where am I? Who are you?"

"Very funny," Midna said, rolling her eyes. "Don't you want to go find your girlfriend?"

"She's not my girlfriend," Link said, walking into a small room. He walked past a man and out the door that led to Hyrule field.

"You like her, don't you?"

"Huh?"

"The girl. You have a crush on her."

Link's face turned red. "I...uh..." He scratched the back of his head. "Yeah."

"Doesn't she like you?"

"Um. I... She might..."

"Then you're dating, aren't you?"

"Well, see, it's not...exactly...like that..." Link was grateful to be interrupted as he heard the sound of hooves and a neigh of a horse. "Epona!" He ran toward her and wrapped his arms around her neck. "Good girl," he cooed. "How did you find me?"

She nuzzled her head against his and he smiled wider.

"Ready to go find Ilia?"

*THIS IS A TRANSITION*

"Oh, hello! Hi, what's your name? What's up? Hey there! I like your hat!"

Every second, someone passed next to him. He couldn't believe it! He wanted to meet everyone here. All he had to do was stand in place, and still he met so many people! He ran around castle town, visiting shops and houses, playing with the kids around town... There were just so many people! He'd walked into so many shops purely to meet new people. There were so many shops! He'd even come across a Fortune teller and a strange but fascinating lady who was obsessed with bugs. Apparently if he caught bugs for her, she would pay him.

That was pretty crazy.

This was so cool! He had to stop himself from hopping from foot to foot. This was amazing! This was AMAZING! It was so huge and busy... He just... couldn't...

"Someone's excited!" Midna giggled as she left Link's shadow. "Don't forget what you came here to do!"

Link thought for a moment, then cried, "ILIA!" and broke into a run. He'd never had so much energy before, this place was just amazing, and now he could go see Ilia and they would be reunited! He could finally see Ilia again!

He found himself laughing gleefully as he opened up the door to Telma's bar. He stepped inside and was immediately shoved to the side by a short old man - that looked like a doctor -grumbling to himself.

"That is a Zora child! This is beyond my expertise!" He glared up at Link, and his eyes widened a bit, though Link wasn't sure why. The doctor almost looked like he... recognized Link. Weird.

"Doctor, wait!" a familiar voice cried. "If something isn't done, this child will..." Link watched as the doctor slammed the door behind him.

Then Link turned around.

Oh gods.

It.

Was.

Ilia.

A grin cracked his face and he walked up to her, barely able to restrain himself from hugging her to death. "Do I know you?" he said sarcastically, waiting for her to cry out in glee and embrace him.

To Link's surprise, she looked at him sadly instead. "Sorry, sir, you must be mistaken," she said.

And she walked away.

"W-wait, Ilia, it's me! Link!" he said, his smile faltering.

She looked at him oddly. "I don't know you."

"Ilia, this isn't funny. Come on! It's me, Link!"

"Who are you? And why are you calling me Ilia?"

Link blinked. "Wait...you really don't...remember me?"

She shook her head. "I'm sorry," she said. "You must have the wrong person."

Link's mouth gaped open as Ilia then walked away. Link could numbly hear the conversation going on in the bar. His head was spinning too much.

"Well, this isn't good. A human doctor won't do, huh..."

Was Ilia crying?

"That old coot reminded me, though... There's a shaman in Kakariko Village, in the Eldin lands, who's tended Gorons and Zoras."

"Is that true? Perhaps if we take him there..."

Why didn't Ilia remember him? What happened to her? Was she still hung up about that Zora kid? Did she really care more about someone she'd never met than he, Link?

"Inadvisable! Too dangerous! But we can't turn a blind eye to a pretty girl in need, either."

"Yes, we'd better escort you! Am I right, boys?!"

This had to be some sort of joke... She _had _to remember him! They'd known each other their entire lives!

He heard some shouting. They sounded triumphant, happy about something. What was there to be happy about? Ilia... she lost her memory...

"Well, isn't that nice. To reach Kakariko, we've got to cross two plains that are each ifested by dangerous beasts. But we'll be safe now!"

Ilia really couldn't remember him? Did she have, like, a long lost twin or something? That had to be it... Someone can't just lose their memory like that...

"Cowards! Don't EVER show your faces in here again!"

Link felt a lump in his throat. What if Ilia really didn't remember him? What if she... _never _remembered him?

"Oh my!"

Of course she would remember him... She HAD to...

"Looks like we've got one more young soldier left!"

There was an out of place silence, and Link snapped back to reality when he realized they were talking to him.

"W-What?"

He looked up and saw the large woman that he'd seen as a wolf. Ilia was standing next to her looking hopeful. She looked so cute...

"And not only that, but it looks like this brave young man will escort us, so get ready to go, honey. Pronto!"

Link blinked. "W-wait... Where are we going...?" He watched as Ilia nodded to the woman and ran away. He wished she would come back. He hadn't seen her enough yet.

"You know that girl, don't you?" the red-headed woman said, turning to him. Link looked up at her.

"Yeah... yeah, I do. Why doesn't she...?"

"It's a real shame... She can't even remember her own name right now."

Link's heart clenched. "What happened to her?"

The woman smiled, and they looked over at the sleeping child. "Bless her heart... She found this poor boy collapsed in the road, so she did all she could to save him."

Link laughed sadly. "That sounds just like her. She's always been so selfless..." He closed his eyes. He really missed her. Would he ever get to see her again?

"More courage in that girl than in all the soldiers of Hyrule, for sure!"

Link smiled sadly.

"You lend your strength to her, you hear me?"


	17. Chapter 17

They looked out onto the eatern bridge, where a giant Bulbin paced back and forth on a boar. Link gulped.

"Can we go back?"

"The bridge to the west was destroyed. There's not exactly another way to get there," Link said, running his fingers through his hair with unease.

"Then our only option is to cross the bridge to the east."

Wasn't that the guy that kidnapped Colin? He sure looked angry.

"You see what that means?"

He knew Telma was talking to him, but he couldn't keep his eyes off the Bulbin.

"You'll have to deal with that thing!"

"Great. Wonderful. Piece of cake." Oh, sure, he'd raced around an open field fighting the Bulbin to save someone he loved. But now he had to fight him on a very narrow bridge that was _quite high up _just to clear a pathway for some Zora kid that he didn't even know!

Oh, great, and he'd have to do this all again once he found Prince Ralis...

Wait a second.

Prince Ralis, a young Zora, went missing in Hyrule Castle town, far away from his home.

He'd found a young Zora lost in Hyrule Castle town, sick from being away from home.

So.

The Zora kid was...

Prince Ralis was...

How had he _just now _made that connection?!

*THE CAKE IS A LIE*

"Th-Thank you so much for this," Ilia said, leaning out the window of the carriage she was in. "Um, if you don't mind me asking, what's your name again?"

It felt like someone was tearing his heart into a million little pieces. Nevertheless, he answered with a smile.

"Link."

She thought for a moment, then her eyes widened.

"...Link?!"

Wait, did she... Did she remember?! Farore, she did! She did!

"I will never in all my life forget your kindness, Link."

His eyebrows furrowed and he felt the lump in his throat return. She... she really didn't remember him... Why?! Why couldn't she remember anything? Would she ever remember? Maybe she just needed to go back some. Seeing her house and dad and friends would surely bring her memory back... Right?

"Little lady, I think you'd best save your thanks until we're safe in Kakariko."

He turned to look at the red-headed woman, surprised. She examined him closely.

"This swordsman of ours has great eyes, honey. They're proud and wild...like a feral beast."

Heh. The irony. _You have _no _idea_...

"We need a beast right now, to keep the true ones at bay," the woman continued. "If we make it to Kakariko safely, we'll just thank him then, okay?"

Link was going to make a sarcastic remark, but he felt kind of sick to his stomach.

"You ready to roll, Link? You've got to protect these young ones on the way to Kakariko!"

Link sighed. This was going to be hard. He could feel it. But he was going to do this anyway - for Ilia. If she couldn't go home, she at least had to get to Kakariko, where she was safe. She would play with the kids, and Epona, who would surely jog her memory. Yes, he wanted to help Prince Ralis, but he wanted to help Ilia more. She was so important to him... He didn't know how he would surive if she was gone forever.

*THIS IS A TRANSITION*

Link's heart skipped a few beats as the Bulbin at the other end of the bridge flexed his arms, showing off the shields on either side of him. Sturdy steel. _Well_, Link thought, _now I'm screwed._

"Okay, it's your turn, honey! We're counting on you!" the woman said.

Link's grip tightened on Epona's reigns. Right. They were counting on him. He had to do this.

What was happening? It wasn't like him to be afraid of an enemy like this. Why was he freaking out? He was gripping Epona's reigns so tightly his knuckles were turning white.

He kicked Epona's sides, and with much hesitance rode her forward onto the bridge. The Bulbin was directly across from him, ready to fight. Just like the last time he'd fought this guy, they nodded to each other.

Like they were freaking best friends.

Was...was that why he was afraid? Hesitant? Because he didn't _want _to hurt this Bulbin? Because they respected each other... And shared the battlefield...?

Or maybe he was just afraid because he was so high up on this fucking narrow bridge...

Yeah.

Um.

Must be that.

Heh.

Epona broke out into a dash and they raced at each other. Link knew that one of them was going to end up falling off of this bridge. And he would be damned if it was him. Since attacking him in the sides with his sword wasn't an option, he pulled out his bow.

Right as they were about to collide, he struck him with an arrow in the chest.

The Bulbin wailed and thrashed about. Was it fatal? Would he die? It sure looked painful. He could see blood appearing.

In its thrashing, the Bulbin collided with Link and sent him and Epona stumbling to the side. His head collided with something and it throbbed, but through the pain he watched with bittersweet victory as the Bulbin tripped and fell and went tumbling over the edge of the bridge. Falling... Falling...

Dead.

Link looked down at the ground, silently praying. As much as he hated to admit it, he didn't hate that guy.

He'd never felt bad about killing someone before now.

*I JUST CREATED A NEW SHIP WTFFFF*

"No! Not again, dammit!" Link cried, swering Epona left and right. Next to him, Ilia and the woman cried out as a flame started once again in the carriage. Link shot an arrow at a Bulbin, but it missed. He hoped that the girls would be able to put out the fire on their own, but his heart nearly stopped when he looked over and saw that the fire had spread rapidly.

"What do I do? What do I do?" Link cried out, grunting in pain as an arrow struck his arm. He pulled it out and felt his sleeve become damp with blood.

He saw the large, grey bird flying overhead as it had earlier, and he cursed under his breath. He tried shooting arrows at it, but they seemed to do nothing as it dropped the bomb once again, causing the horse driving the carriage to turn around all over again.

Link cried out in dispair. It wasn't fair! He had absolutely no help! He was okay when he was just fending for himself, but it was hard taking care of other people! And the fire was still spreading, his bleeding hadn't stopped, his head still hurt quite a bit from when the Bulbin had knocked into him...

Suddenly, an idea came to him. "Midna! Boomerang!" he shouted over the noise. He felt his belt grow heavier as the Gale Boomerang materialized there. "Hello, old friend," he said, gripping it with a smile. Then he threw it at the carriage. He watched with a victorious smirk as it put the fire out.

Pain siezed him suddenly as a Bulbin whacked his head with a club. Black spotted his vision and he nearly fell off Epona, feeling lightheaded. His hands flew around Epona's neck and he gripped her tightly. He felt consiousness slipping away from him as his grip involuntarily loosened. He was so tired... He hurt so much...

He sat up straighter and shook his head.

He had to do this. He had to do this for Ilia.

He blinked the blackness out of his vision and pulled himself up through the pain. He noticed that the carriage was on fire, and he threw the boomerang at it again. Then he pulled out his sword and swung it at the Bulbin next to him right as its club was about to strike him again. Their weapons collided with a _clang _and they fought.

Link won, of course.

As soon as the boomerang circled around back toward him, he caught it and immediately chucked it back toward the carriage. The flames died completely and he unsheathed his sword again, striking a Bulbin near him in its gut.

Then the bird was back again, and Link felt his heart sink as he began to panic. What could he do?! No way in hell was he letting that thing turn the carriage around again. Not thinking, he did the only thing that came to mind; chucking the boomerang at it. Maybe he could scare it off.

What happened was not what he expected.

The bird actually dropped the bomb and flew away.

Link grinned and felt accomplished.

Then he quickly jumped off Epona and scooped up the bomb, about to throw it out of the -

BOOM!

Pain.

He hit the ground hard. His vision went black and he gripped his head, a sharp soreness running through it and a ringing starting in his ears. He fought for consiousness, trying hard to blink the black spots out of his vision. Everything hurt... There was a ringing in his ears and he was pretty sure his shirt was on fire...

Fucking bombs...

Slowly, he picked himself up, and groaned as he saw that the carriage was once again on fire and Epona was trying hard to fight off all the Bulbins surrounding her. _Good girl_, think thought with a grin.

He stood up - swaying a bit, and still dizzy - and climbed onto Epona, who sensed his injuries and rode gently. Fortunately, most of the Bulbins had died, and it was easy enough to fight and kill the rest of them. Even better, he'd scared off that bird, simplifying things further.

Finally, Link's heart swelled with joy and relief as he saw the gate to Kakariko appear. He sped up his pace and quickly leapt off Epona to unlock the gate. He swung it open and watched as the carriage rolled to safety in the village. Link led Epona past the gate and he closed it behind him, just as a few Bulbins were about to make it past.

Link smirked at them. Ha ha, they sure looked angry... He knew they probably wouldn't understand, but he stuck his tongue out at them.

Just for good measure.

*THIS IS A TRANSITION*

Link stood with Colin, impatiently waiting by the door to hear anything. He didn't care about Prince Ralis that much, but he knew that once Ralis was dealt with, everyone could focus on helping Ilia get her memory back.

"Hey, Link... About Ilia..."

Link looked down at Colin, who stared back questioningly.

"Is it true, what they said about her?"

"A-About her memory? Yeah, she... she can't remember anything. And it won't be easy getting her memory back." He felt his heart sink as the words left his mouth. It seemed to make Colin sad, too.

"But it'll be alright," Link said reasurringly. "If we just hive her some time...she'll find her heart again."

Suddenly, Renado stepped out of the room and Link and Colin looked up at him expectantly.

"...He has passed through the worst of it."

Colin immediately grinned and sighed in relief. Link faked a smile.

"As long as he rests, he should recover in due time." Renado turned to Link. "Do you know the fate of his mother?"

Link blinked, then his smile faded. Oh... Yeah, he did...

"Her welfare consumes him. He has been mumbling deliriously about her almost constantly."

Link bit his lip and looked down at the ground. He knew what it was like to lose someone close... How in the world could anyone tell this little boy about his mother...?

"...I can see the knowledge grieves you. It must be an awful memory."

Link shrugged. "I didn't see it happen, I just...found out about it..." He couldn't exactly tell Renado that he could SEE and TALK to _ghosts_...

Colin didn't seem to understand what they were talking about. "I'll stay with him until he'd better!" he exclaimed with a smile. "No matter how long it takes!"

Renado knelt down and placed a hand on Colin's shoulder. "Is that so? Thank you, Colin."

Colin raced into the bedroom where Ilia and Caden's cousin were sitting by Ralis's bedside, talking. Link gazed at Ilia longingly for a moment, then decided to follow Colin. He couldn't talk to the _old _Ilia right now, sure... But that girl was still Ilia, right? And he was pretty sure Ilia had liked him. So maybe he could get this "new" Ilia to fall for him...

For some reason, his stomach felt queezy as he walked up behind Ilia. They'd always been friends... But he'd never actually had a...a girlfriend before. It was all so new to him. Nervewracking. He could only hope that he wouldn't be shot down.

"Um... h-hey, Ilia?"

*GO GET 'ER LINK!*

Ilia sighed, relieved that this boy was safe. That was all that mattered.

...Why was that all that mattered?

She knew that something wasn't right ever since she'd woken up in the middle of a bustling city and could barely remember her own name. But after she discovered this poor child, she'd completely forgot that as well.

"So..." The nice, dark haired girl that she'd befriended, Luda, sat down next to her. "You know Link? The tall handsome one?"

She frowned and shook her head. "No, but he claims to know me."

"Link and the other children did mention a girl that was missing... Could they have meant you?"

"I swear, I have no idea who these people are. They're all nice, don't get me wrong..." She lowered her voice, not wanting Link to hear. "Especially Link, though. He led us across two giant planes and fought off monsters...all for me! And he didn't complain once." She smiled. "And here I thought all good-looking men were stuck up and arrogant."

She and Luda giggled. "So are you going to go after him?" Luda mused. "He seems interested enough."

"Do you think I should? Really?"

"Um...h-hey, Ilia?"

It took her a second. She still wasn't used to being called Ilia. Then she spun around and her heart skipped a beat as she saw that it was Link. He looked kind of nervous, which was strange. It didn't suit him. She liked his smile a whole lot.

"Do you want t-to...go for a walk, maybe?"

She glanced at the child asleep in the bed beside her, wanting for a split second to stay safe in this room with Luna and watch over the sleeping child. But then she turned to Link, wanting something more - adventure, fun, excitement. The things she thought of when she saw this man.

She smiled.

"I would love to."

*THIS IS A TRANSITION*

"So... Were we dating?"

Link felt his face turn bright red. He suddenly grew very interested in a gravestone next to him. "N-No...no, I don't... I don't like you or anything... We were just good friends..." His heart grew heavy.

She hummed and looked at him. He tried to look back, but couldn't quite manage to make eye contact before feeling a lump in his throat. Those eyes... Those pretty green eyes...

They didn't recognize him at all.

He looked down at the ground and they kept walking, silently. It wasn't fair! This should be _Ilia _walking next to him, this should be his_ best friend _walking next to him... Instead it was a stranger. She was a stranger to him and he was a stranger to her.

It just... It wasn't fucking fair.

"Link..."

Link looked up. "What?"

Ilia turned to him in surprise. "I didn't say anything."

"Oh."

They kept walking, lost in their own thoughts, too nervous to talk to each other.

"Link."

Link looked up, but Ilia didn't seem to have said anything. He looked around the whole graveyard, but didn't see anything. By now he was convinced he was hearing things.

Suddenly, something caught his eye. It was a ghostly pink color, suspended in mid-air. But it fluttered away before he saw what it was.

Trying not to make it obvious, he very slightly and slowly changed his course toward where he'd seen the object. He was almost there when again, he saw something ghostly flutter past him. He turned his head quickly, trying to catch sight of it, but it was gone.

He began walking toward it again, suddenly not caring about Ilia. He _needed _to catch that thing.

He walked all around the graveyard, but couldn't find it. Where had it gone?

Suddenly, he felt his ears twitch as a strong sensation filled him. It was nearby... Oh, it was very, _very _close...

He turned around.

It was Ralis's mother. She floated above him, every bit as beautiful as he remembered. But he still couldn't get a good look at her before she began flying away from him, not as fast as before, but still fast enough that he had to begin running to catch up to her.

Beside him, Ilia began running as well. "Where are we going?" she asked.

Link didn't answer. He just sped up his pace as the ghost did hers. He still felt that animalistic want to catch her. It was just so _tempting_...

Unfortunately for him, she disappeared through a giant wall of rock, covered in moss. Now what was he supposed to do?! There was no way to get to her...

He pounded his fist on the rock in frustration. Well, he _intended _to pound his fist on the rock. Instead what happened was his hand went _through _the _wall_.

What the fuck?

He pulled his hand back and watched as moss hanging from the rock seperated as his hand pulled through.

So there was some hidden passage in the graveyard?

Not creepy at all.

No, definitely. He should follow that ghost leading him to a secret place in a graveyard of an old, almost abandonded town.

He was hesitant, but he did push the hanging vines away from him and stepped through, looking around curiously. Ilia followed closely behind him. He could hear her breathing. It sounded so cute.

He stepped through more moss and they found themselves in a small area full of water. It caused a bluish aura to surround the rocks above and around them. Small little bugs and fairies flew around gently, lighting the place like small, bright orbs. Across them was a small platform of rock with a strangely shaped, but elegant-looking gravestone. Floating above the gravestone was the ghost.

"Link... This place is beautiful," Ilia said, awed. She placed a hand on his back and one on his arm, as if she was still a little afraid about what was in there. He felt himself shudder at her soft touch.

"I am deeply grateful to you for aiding my son in his time of need," Ralis's mother said.

Link smiled and nodded. She looked so happy... An emotion he hadn't seen or felt himself for a while.

"You were right to bring him here. Kakariko Village is a sacred place for the Zora people. It is where we take our eternal rest."

Link smiled sadly. Since she was here... Did that mean she was going to...take _her _eternal rest? Link was sad for Ralis - how could anyone tell that poor boy? - but he was also glad that the Queen had found peace.

"My husband in life, King Zora, aslo rests his spirit here. It is no coincidence my son found his salvation in this place." She looked down at the graveston she was floating above, and Link followed her gaze. "...That which I have promised you is within this grave. During his lifetime, my husband created garments specifically for the chosen hero, garments that house the abilities of the Zora."

Link had to admit...

That sounded pretty fucking awesome.

He was about to go and look in the gravestone, when he remembered Ilia by his side. He looked up at the Queen and smiled sadly again.

"Now, at last, I can join the king in slumber." She did not look afraid. She looked at peace with herself and the world. She looked happy.

Suddenly, worry flashed on her face. "And yet... My son... He still knows nothing of my death." She closed her eyes and her face relaxed. "If you see him again, please pass on this message... Tell him he must not grieve his mother's passing. Tell him she wanted him to be brave and live on as the king of our people." She locked eyes with him, and Link felt a lump in his throat as he gave a watery smile. He thought of his own mother, wherever she was, whoever she had been.

"And... Tell him his mother...loves him without end."

And she faded away into an endless sleep.

Link turned to look at Ilia and felt his stomach clench when he saw the bright smile on her face. She met his gaze.

"Thank you, Link," she said. "With all the war and tradgety going on...it's nice to see that there's still beauty in the world."

Link closed his eyes and smiled softly, taking in a deep breath. "It's hard to see... But love can be found in lots of places." It was nice to be reminded of that.

There _was _still beauty in the world.

*THIS IS A TRANSITION*

"Link, what's wrong?"

Link quickly turned away and pretended like he hadn't just been staring at Ilia. Everything felt so strange and foreign... She looked _just like _Ilia... The curve of her nose, her bright, green eyes, down to every last strand of her hair... But he felt like he was walking with a stranger. He didn't know this girl at all. And she didn't know him, either.

"It's nothing."

"Come on, it's not nothing. What's wrong?"

He looked at her, and when he saw her clueless face, he felt himself grow angry. "What's wrong? What's _wrong_?! Oh, I don't know. Maybe the fact that my _best friend _can't remember my name!" Ilia's eyebrows furrowed, and Link could tell she didn't quite understand. "What's wrong is that I know every single thing about you, and you don't know a thing about me! What's wrong is that I'd do _anything _for you, and you don't give a damn about me..." His voice cracked, and he pinched the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes. "What's wrong is that you _used _to care about about me, but for whatever reason, now... you don't..."

Ilia was silent for a long time, and Link knew he'd hurt her feelings. But right now he didn't care. She deserved it. She deserved a little taste of what he was feeling.

But Link was surprised to feel something brush by his arm and a hand slip into his. He looked up and saw Ilia standing next to him, smiling sadly.

He felt a whole new rush of emotions as he looked down and saw her fingers interlocked with his.

"No, I don't remember anything." Link felt the lump in his throat return full force. "And as far as I know, you're just a stranger..." He bit his lip. "But if you keep hoping, and if we do everything we can..." She squeezed her hand, and he squeezed back. "...I know I'll remember someday."

He tried his best to hold in the tears. Come on, he couldn't cry... He was a _hero_! Heroes don't cry!

...Not _all the time_, anyway.

They walked back into town hand-in-hand.

"Look at you kids. Nice to see there's still hope here." The large, red-headed woman smiled as she caught sight of them. Link gripped Ilia's hand tightly, and though she seemed a bit unsure, she was glad to make Link so happy.

"And it's always nice to see happy results repay your efforts," the woman added as they walked up to her. Link and Ilia smiled at each other when suddenly, Ilia's eyes widened.

"Oh, goodness! I lost track of time... I should go check on the boy!" She looked up apologetically at Link. "I-I'm sorry... Thank you!" Then, in one swift motion, she stood on tiptoe, kissed him on the cheek, and ran inside.

Link thought he might faint.

He stood there dumbly for a minute, frozen and grinning like an idiot. Then he jumped as the woman chuckled behind him.

"Those skills of yours... Any chance you're of the mind to put them to use for Hyrule?"

He turned to look at her, his smile fading only slightly. "What do you mean?"

"What hope there is in our kingdom is frail and dying...but there's still a group trying to do what it can." She winked at him. "And I'm a member of that group."

She stepped toward him, shoving her face near his, and reached her hand out. Link took it.

"Call me Telma."

"Nice to meet you, Telma. But I guess this is goodbye too, huh?"

"I may just stay here a bit longer," Telma said, smiling and looking over her shoulder. "I'm still worried about Ilia, and... Well, never mind about the rest." She glanced at something, and Link felt his eyes widen as he followed her gaze to Renado. Was... Was she...? Were they...?

She got up in his face again, and Link had to stagger back.

"Link, I want to see you again at my bar, you hear me?"

"A bar, eh? I just might have to stop by." Actually, Link had only drank once, and he'd ended up having so much that he couldn't remember what happened the next day... Other than the fact that he'd had a lot of fun and laughed as hard as he could remember doing.

"The bar is actually a kind of safe house for my friends. There's a passageway that leads to the castle from in there, as well." She smiled warmly at him. "If you ever need anything, stop by. I'll be waiting for you, honey!" With that, she winked at him and walked away.

He watched her run up to Renado, where they stopped, said something, hugged, and she grabbed onto his arm as they started walking again.

Woah, woah, woah.

Hold up.

...

...

..._What_?!

Link couldn't help but laugh a little. Who would have thought? And since Renado was Caden's uncle, did that make Telma Caden's... Aunt?

No. Way.

Small world...

*THIS IS A TRANKJHGFIJNB*

"Now what, Link?!"

"Where am I supposed to go?!"

"That's not my problem."

"Oh, really?" Link said with a laugh. "YOU'RE the one who's using me like a puppet. YOU'RE the one who wants the Fused...uh, the...um..."

Caden raised an eyebrow at him.

"Well, that doesn't mean _I _have to do _everything_," Midna said, slipping back into his shadow.

"Dammit, Midna!" He let out a puff of air. "You know what? Fine. Caden, do you need to go back to Kakariko, or do you want to continue with us?"

"I can keep going with you for a while," he said, adjusting his sling and examining a burn on his shoulder. "I just have to get back before people notice I'm gone."

"Good." Link kicked Epona and she shot off, Caden at his heels. They began to slow down as they neared Hyrule castle. The sight of it never ceased to amaze him. It was so large and magnificent, and it was always a wonder how anyone could afford such grandeur or live with such ease. In Ordon, every family had their own small house, and everyone had their own job to help provide for their family. One of the rooms in the castle – as he'd found out from the last time he'd been there, as a wolf – was as big as his whole house.

"Where are you going?!" Midna asked, popping out of nowhere.

"Oh, wouldn't YOU like to know."

She glared at him, then blinked as he dismounted when they were behind the castle. "Seriously, what are you doing?"

Caden dismounted his horse, looking just as confused as Midna. Link began to walk toward the castle. "I'm breaking in."

"WHAT? No, no you're not. Link, get back on Epona and - "

"Well, _Zelda _seems to know what's going on...and seeing her for five minutes has done me more good than your gabbing has these past two weeks."

She poked him in the stomach and she laughed as he grabbed her finger. She poked him again with her other hand and he joined her in laughter, until a feeling of deja vu washed over him.

_Ilia_...

"I'm sorry, but did you say Zelda? The princess of _Hyrule_?" Caden asked, his eyes wide.

Link nodded slowly.

"You've met her?"

Link winced. "Um...yeah. I just need to ask her a question."

"What did you mean by 'she knows what's going on'?"

Link paused, his mouth open. "Um...Well, I'm trying to...to make peace with the areas of Hyrule, so we can revolt against...against Ganondorf."

"You really think you can -"

"I-I'm not actually going to be fighting," he said quickly. "I'm just supposed to...unite everyone. And so...I need to get Zelda and her kingdom on my side." Believable enough.

"Was this your -"

"Look, I can't answer all your questions now. Just...You'll understand later. Let's just go." He flashed an apologetic look at Caden, then picked up his pace.

They were nearly to the back wall when Link suddenly unsheathed his sword and sliced it across the air, striking a Kargaroc, a giant, bat-like creature. It stumbled but soon came back, ready to strike. Then, Link had an idea...

He ducked, but reached his arms up just as the bird swooped over him, and grabbed its legs. "Caden!" he called. "Grab on!" He felt something grip his legs tightly.

Instantly, the bird panicked, but Link managed to hold on long enough for it to fly over the castle's roof, and he let go as he felt Caden drop down. He felt his stomach leave him as wind ripped through his hair, and suddenly his feet collided with stone, inches away from Caden.

"For the love of Nayru, Link!" Midna cried.

"Hey, maybe YOU can fly, but we can't all be so lucky." Link looked around. "Now, which way to Zelda's room?"

"Oh, wouldn't YOU like to know."

*HA HA HA HA HA OH MIDNA*

"Your highness?"

Zelda spun around, and with one glance at his hand began to speak. "Link, why have you come?" Her sapphire eyes widened. Where in Nayru's name had he seen them before?

"We are searching for the Fused Shadows and...Wait. How do you know it's me?"

"You should not have come. It is very dangerous for you to be here!"

"Listen, Zelda," Link said, his voice rising in spite of himself, "I've been through hell and back. Three times! Not to mention returned unscathed from two temples with death around every corner. A couple of guards don't scare me."

"Ganondorf -"

"He's no threat. He's working through Zant."

Zelda and Midna exchanged a look.

"Oh, no. PLEASE don't give me that. I deserve to know whatever you do."

Zelda and Midna looked at each other again, and then Zelda slowly took a step toward him."Link..." she said apologetically. She held up her hand, and he saw something golden and shimmering. Something glittering, golden, and _very _familiar...

"It's called a Triforce, Link." He rubbed the back of his hand. _"You are destined for great things."_ Farore... "Power placed by the Goddesses themselves. Yours is of courage, mine is of wisdom. Ganondorf possesses the third – power. He is more than human, much more. You and I...if he kills us, our power goes to him. But he does not know of you, Link. He is after me. You must leave."

"Leave?" Link laughed. "I still have some questions that need answering, Princess."

She frowned darkly. "I have a name."

"Fine, Zelda. First of all, where's the last Fused Shadow?"

"I...I cannot tell you."

"And why, in Din's name, not?"

"Zant is after it as well! We should not even risk the possibility of him discovering its location. He will not use its power for any reason but to take over Hyrule."

Link hesitated, and then grin cracked on his face. "Then whisper it or something."

Midna snickered, but Zelda's lips barely twitched before she shouted, "Don't be so immature! This is nothing to joke about!"

"I'm not the one who's overreacting! You could just write it down in Hylian or something! Ganon doesn't read Hylian, does he?"

"How should I know? I do not know everything!"

"You just said you had the Triforce of Wisdom! That means you're smart!"

"Smarter than you, at least."

"Sweet merciful Din!" Midna shouted, interrupting them. "Could you two stop fighting for one minute?" Link and Zelda turned to glare at her. "You two bicker like brother and sister!"

"Yeah, well, I'm not exactly down on one knee asking her to marry me," Link snapped, but something about what Midna said got to him.

Brother and sister...

Those familiar sapphire eyes...Maybe it wasn't _whose they were _that he recognized...

Maybe...

Those blue eyes...

...Were the same ones he saw every day in the mirror.

"F-Farore!"

"Link?"

"Midna, we have to go." She blinked. "NOW!"

"But what about -"

"The Fused Shadows can wait," Link said flatly. "Now let's go." Midna disappeared into Link's shadow as he hurried away from the confused princess.

*THIS KSKSNKLNZBGANGNAMSTYLEZDS*

Caden leaned his head against the wall. So far he'd heard talking...then yelling...and now silence. Just as he was about to stand up, Link burst through the door. Instead of looking steamed, he looked flustered, his eyes wide.

"Did you guys _kiss _or something?" he asked with a smirk on his face. Link didn't respond, he just stormed away. Caden pushed himself up with his good arm, hurrying after Link - but not before glimpsing the princess.

Sweet merciful Din...

She... She was _beautiful._

His eyes remained glued to her for as long as his legs would let him. Her calm expression told him they hadn't kissed. If they had, she'd probably be just as flustered as Link.

He let out a sigh of relief, though he wasn't sure why. He smiled and at her right before she was out of sight, thinking, _I'm going to have to sneak back in here_...


	18. Chapter 18

Author's Note:

I AM SO SORRY IT SERIOUSLY WASN'T MY FAULT THIS TIME. MY COMPUTER SCREEN CRACKED AND I COULDN'T READ HALF THE SCREEN. IT AIN'T MY FAULT. Blame my sister she was the last person to use it... BUT ANYWAYYYYY... IM BACK FOR REALS THIS TIIME.

ALSO. Is it going to bug you if Link and Zelda are brother and sister? I know that hardcore fans will be bothered by this, I'm sorry...But I just didn't want to do the regular old plot where Link falls in love with Zelda because they're meant to be and love at first sight and the hero saves the princess and I'm boring myself right now okay goodbye.

*THIS IS A TRANSITION*

"Link, what the hell was that all about?!" Midna cried, jumping out of Link's shadow.

"Oh my gods, oh my gods," Link repeated under his breath, hysterics seizing him.

"Link!"

"You were right, Mida. You didn't mean to be, but you were. You were just _joking_, but you were _right_!" He paced back and forth, fingers running through his hair.

"What are you talking about?!"

"Zelda is my _sister_," Link exclaimed. When he said it out loud, though, it sounded completely ridiculous. He chuckled lightly at the thought, then began to laugh harder. "Zelda is my sister," he said between fits of laughter, and he just kept repeating it over and over again, trying to make it sound unreal. But he knew, no matter how unlikely or crazy it sounded, it was true.

"Link, don't be ridiculous!" Midna cried, flicking him in the forehead.

"I'm not!" He stared at her, locking eyes, making sure she saw his eyes clearly. Hers were dark and very pretty, and he was thrown off for a moment before shaking his head and returning his thoughts to the princess. "Look at my eyes and tell me they're not Zelda's too."

Midna looked at him critically, but something flashed on her face similar to realization. Still, she refused to believe it. "That's impossible. The Triforce goes to three random, unrelated people. The only reason it would go to siblings is if they're all triplets. That means you would have to be Ganondorf's _brother_." She crossed her arms. "And he was born hundreds of years ago."

"I'm telling you, she's my sister!" He wasn't going to let her tell him otherwise. "Midna, if Zelda and I are twins, then does that mean the King and Queen are my _parents_?!" He could barely contain his excitement as he grabbed Midna's shoulders. "Midna, I have _parents_! The Queen - my _mother _- died a few years ago, but - Oh, Farore - _my dad is still alive_!" His hands were shaking around Midna's shoulders, and he silently pleaded with his eyes.

He didn't have to say anything for Midna to understand.

"No."

"But -"

"Absolutely not, Link!"

"Pleaaase?" he begged.

"You've lost enough time as it is!"

"But family is important!"

"Saving the world is _more _important!"

"But we have time! You're not the boss of me!"

"Link, I'm serious."

"I am too."

And his face showed it. He'd never been more certain in his whole life. He _had _to see his father. He wasn't stupid - Castle Town had been in Twilight. And though that wasn't the king's fault (technically it was Zelda's), people would still think the depression and fear they felt was the king's fault. And if history tells us anything, it was all too likely that the king could be murdered at any second.

Not only that, but the king wasn't exactly the youngest person in the kingdom. Link didn't exactly have unlimited time to waste searching for the last Fused Shadow before going to his father.

His _father_.

His heart was set.

And Midna could see that.

She sighed. "Fine. You find your stupid dad. Go dilly dally and have a party and waste as much time as you want! It's not like the fate of two worlds are at stake!" With that she disappeared into his shadow.

Link muttered under his breath, "I hate you, Midna."

*THIS IS A TRANSITION*

Link opened up his mouth wide and shoved a forkful of juicy, delicious meat in his mouth. It wasn't long before his plate was empty and he was wiping his mouth with his sleeve.

"You eat like a pig," Midna said next to him. Link frowned.

"I'm hungry! So what?"

"I just don't understand why you have time to stop and eat...Since you were _so eager _to see the king." Her voice was dripping with sarcasm.

"What's your problem?"

"I'm just saying, since seeing your dad is _clearly _more important than _saving _the _world _- "

"I want to meet my father, so sue me!" Link cried, anger boiling through him. People were staring at him, but he didn't care. "We have plenty of time to find the Fused Shadow, so why are you so eager?! It's like you can't _wait _to leave." Midna's eyes softened, but she didn't say anything. "And just in case you were confused: _I never had parents_. I grew up as an orphan! I never had a father figure, and my only 'relative' was my grandmother. She wasn't even my real grandma! And now that I know who my father is, and now that I have the chance to meet him..." His voice cracked, and he wasn't sure why. "I just don't understand why _you don't care_."

And suddenly she became angry. "I DO care! I care so much, in fact, that I left my world to save yours! Maybe I'm just _homesick_. Maybe I have my _own _problems. Ever stop to think about _that_?"

Instead of merging into his shadow, she floated away into a crowd, and he lost sight of her.

Shit...

_You really screwed up this time, Link_, he thought to himself. He got up and was about to go apologize when he heard a shout off in the distance.

"_MURDER_!"

Instinctively, Link unsheathed his sword and ran forward through the crowd, which was now frozen and focused on the knight that had barged out of the giant double doors that led to the castle.

"Someone help, please, someone help!" the knight cried, looking around.

"What's going on?"

"Who's been murdered?"

"Is the princess okay?"

"Someone help!" the guard continued to yell, looking frantic and hysterical. "The king's been murdered!"

Link's eyes widened.

_The king's been murdered._

_The king's been murdered_.

"Out of my way!" he cried, pushing his way past the crowd and running past the double doors, held open by the guard. He ran fast, his legs on fire, and shoved his way frantically past a large gathering of guards who surrounded the king.

When Link looked in the face of the king, he knew.

This was his father.

"Dad!" he screamed, tears brimming his eyes. He'd never called anyone that before...

The king, who was gripping a wound in his gut - but not quite dead yet - forced his eyes open at the peculiar word. Not so much a peculiar _word_, but coming from a peculiar person. Either way, he managed to open his eyes.

His eyes were bright blue. Just like Link's.

The shape of his nose was the same, his pointed, Hylian ears, even his graying hair had touches of Link's and Zelda's golden locks.

_No, don't die, not now, not when I just met you_...

Guards were surrounding him, holding him back from his father. What could he do? How, in a few seconds, could he convince the king that he was his son?

An idea flashed in his mind. Was Ganondorf somehow related to he and Zelda? Surely the King and Queen had noticed that their kids had the _Triforces_... Would he recognize it now?

Link held out his left hand proudly, as he was dragged away, and the king's eyes widened.

"Go - ah - to the doctor!" the king yelled, wincing.

His heart sank. "Yes, of course, the doctor..." It was a lost cause, he knew, but _maybe _the doctor could revive him in time, _maybe_...

"No."

Surprised by the tone of his voice, he looked up into his father's face.

And he knew.

A wave of memories washed over him, all with _his _face, his _father's_ face. Words couldn't contain what he felt; all he knew was that he loved his father and he was in front of him now, and his father knew him. And the king - his father - knew him before he died.

"Go to the doctor."

And the king sank to his knees and the king closed his eyes, and the king let out one final breath.

And the king died.

*NOOOOOO NOT THE KING*

"You got to see your father. Are you happy?"

Link whirled on her, barely resisting the urge to slap her in the face.

"YOU did it! YOU murdered my father!" he cried. Angry tears formed at the corners of his eyes, but he didn't dare let them fall. "I _HATE _you!"

Midna recoiled and blinked. "What do you mean _I _murdered your father?"

Link crossed his arms. "Hmm, let's think," he spat, his voice shaking with anger. "You were angry at me for wanting to meet the king. We had a fight. You left. Like twenty seconds later, I hear that the king has been murdered!" He tried to blink the tears out of his eyes.

"Of course I didn't! Why would I do that?!"

"Because you're selfish!" It was out of his mouth before he could stop it.

Midna's eyes narrowed. Her frown deepened. Link knew he'd said the wrong thing, but he was so angry that he didn't care.

"_What_ did you say?"

"I _said_ you're selfish." He forced himself to lower his voice. "You don't care about anybody but yourself. You say you're risking your life to save your world, but that's only so that _you_ can get things back to the way _you_ want them to be. You would never risk your life directly for another person!"

"I _care_ about my _people_," Midna hissed. Then her eyes widened and her hand flew up to her mouth.

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing."

"What the _fuck_ is that supposed to mean?!"

"I said it's nothing!"

Link glared at her. "See that?! _You're keeping secrets from me!_ I _know_ that you don't care about me. You would never risk your life for me. You've never done _anything_ for me. But I still... I... I..." He scratched his head. "I still for some Goddess-damned reason care about you. Did you know that I haven't told anyone about the Twilight? You're the _only person_ I know that knows about me being the Chosen whatever-the-hell."

Her voice shook when she spoke. "I didn't ask you to do that."

Link growled, and there was a pain in his throat that wouldn't go away.

"I'm going to _miss_ you, Midna. Understand? And when you make it_ so clear _that you aren't going to miss _me_..."

He sighed. He could feel the tears at his eyes again. It was getting harder and harder not to break out into sobs. Why did his father have to die? Why did Ilia have to be gone? Why did Midna have to leave so soon? Why was his _life_ so screwed up?

"It fucking hurts."

*THIS IS A TRANSIGGLEBOB*

Midna dried her face with the back of her hand, but tears wetted her cheeks again in seconds.

_No_, she wasn't _crying_... Goddesses... She just...had something in her eye.

Jeez.

She sniffed and took in a deep breath. Why did she have to like Link so much? - No, not _that _kind of like! Seriously, people - She wasn't supposed to get attached. She wasn't supposed to care about him at all. He was just a toy. A puppet. A pawn in a giant game of chess. He didn't mean anything.

He didn't mean anything.

Midna wiped her eyes again. She was going to miss him. She hated her self for it; she was disgusting and disgraceful. A traitor. But she was still going to miss him.

And now, when he called her out, asking her to warp, they didn't talk. They didn't joke around. They didn't make eye contact.

She didn't want things to be like this. She didn't mean for any of it to be like this. She guessed Link had his own problems; his father dying, for instance. But none of it was her fault! Why did he have to take it out on her?!

_Because you're his closest friend_, a voice in her mind said, but she brushed it aside. There was no way that was true. He liked the girl better. And Caden. He liked Caden much better than Midna.

_Just keep being mean to him_, she said to herself, over and over again. _Just keep being mean, and he'll be mean back. And it'll hurt less when you have to go._

_Just keep being mean._

*THISSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS*

Link slipped on the scaly metal gloves, flexing his fingers to adapt himself to the new material. After spending weeks in his "hero's tunic," this magic aromor felt strange. It was hard and clunky, and difficult to movie in. How on earth could this thick armor make it easier for him to swim?!

Not only that, but...he kind of missed his hat. This new one - yes, dear gods, it came with a fricking _hat _- was just as uncomfortable as the rest of his armor.

He rodeEpona into Kakariko Village and strolled over to the spring. He dunked the green tunic and hat into the water, washing them thoroughly. When he pulled them back out, he was surprised how clean the clothes were. It was surprising what dirt and a few blood stains could do to an outfit.

He slowly opened the door to the abandoned house he was staying in, then slipped inside and tucked his clothes into the chest with his rupees and slingshot. He double-checked with Midna to see if she had the new water bombs he'd bought recently. Who would have thought there could be bombs that work underwater?

A sad sigh escaped his lips as he left his "house" for the cold, balck night outside. He's been staying in Kakariko for the past few days, checing up on Ilia - which was incredibly painful - and hanging with Caden as he recovered... But he mostly stayed there so he could talk to people other than Midna.

it was hard to look her in the eye after what she'd done. he only had one father, and now, thanks to Midna, he was gone. Though she still denied it strongly, he knew it had to be true. Part of him still liked to deny it himself - after all, he'd been friends with Midna, and she wasn't a murderer, was she? But there really was nothing to suggest she _hadn't _done it.

He wanted so badly to talk to the doctor, at his father's request, but something told him Midna wouldn't be too happy about it. He thought it was better to just get the Fused Shadow and get Midna out of his life as fast as possible.

_But if you're the "Chosen Hero_," a voice in his mind persisted, _don't you have a bigger part to play than just helping an imp find some toys?_

_Exactly_, he retorted. _I don't have a bigger part to play. Which proves I'm NOT the hero!_

He looked behind him at the village, thinking somewhat sadly this was the last time Midna would ever be here.

Then he remembered his father, and he didn't care.

*GUYS AGAIN IM SO SORRY FOR TAKING SO LONG*

Link hesitantly placed a foot in the water of Lake Hylia, and gasped as he felt it become light as air. He jerked it out and examined the armor again one last time before taking in a huge breath and diving headfirst into the water.

The first thing he felt was the stunning, ice-cold of the water. It numbed his bones and after a few seconds, it was like he had no feeling at all.

The second thing he noticed was he felt like he had no armor on. His limbs felt lighter than just a moment ago, not to mention lighter in water than he ever remembered. he had to double check to make sure he was still clothed.

He tried swimming, and found it ridiculously easy to move about in the water. His arms and legs felt free, and he propelled himself toward the bottom of the lake.

The third thing he noticed was he was out of air.

He frantically released the air in his mouth, and watched in leave as a bubble. Then he raced for the surface, but it seemed like the more he swam, the further away the shimmering surface got, and he felt like his lungs were about to burst and he braced himself for the burning, sickening water to fill his lungs...

Nothing.

He took another breath.

He exhaled. A bubble.

Another breath.

Another buble.

Sweet Din, was he breathing? Was he really breathing underwater?!

He let out a laugh, and heard it echo distantly and far-away in the unfamiliar substance. He started to swim, waving is arms again and again, kicking his feet nonstop until he was going at top speed, zipping and soaring through the water, feeling light and free and alive.

He exhaled deeply,, enjoying watching the air bubble up from his mouth toward the still back-and-starry sky. The water around him was cool and dark blue, shifting around his eyes and glittering onto the floor.

He took off again, heading toward the lake bed where he saw rocks jutting out and Zoras swimming around. He swam up to one, his face probably dazed-looking and awed.

"Excuse me," he said, "do you know where a temple is that might have some sort of... evil power?"

She smiled. It was pretty. "Yeah, right over there," she said, pointing to a tower with no apparent entrances. "But the entrance has been blocked off to keep monsters from coming out." Link could make out a pile of rocks compressed together that looked like they were blocking something off. Not a problem.

He had bombs.

He waved at the girl as he turned to leave. "Thank you," he called before dashing through the water again. He swam toward the entrance and disposed of the rocks with a _BANG_! Then, without looking back, he swam inside.

It was colder and darker in the tunnel. the walls and floor were made of stone, surrounding him and darkening the area. Frankly, he was surprised it wasn't pitch black in here. There must have been a light source coming from somewhere.

He swam through winding pathways of water. He passed by a strange looking creature, accidentally bumping it.

Bad mistake.

Painful shockwaves blasted through him, an it was like he was burning and frozen at the same time. Immobile. His skin burned, his bones trembled, and he wished he was dead...

Then it was over.

"What in Din's name was that?" he asked shakily. Then he remembered that he wasn't talking to Midna. She didn't come out, anyway.

He hurried past the creature and continued swimming. Below him he saw giant things that looked like clams. He didn't want to get near them; he figured they were just as dangerous as the other things.

Link swam until he reached the surface, instinctively gasping for breath before remembering he didn't need to. He shivered in the cold and climbed out, looking around. The room was dark, and felt damp, though the only water was the small pool he'd climbed out of. There were platforms scattered around the room, layered with strange, intricate-looking gates and materials. There was a door on the oppositeside of the room blocked by a gate.

he climbed the steps around the door, looking for a way to unlock the gate. He glanced at something that resembled a handle and walked closer to get a better look at it. Sure enough, hanging from the ceiling was a pole with something at the end that plainly looked like it was meant to be pulled. He reache dout and yanked and, and grunted in approval as the gates slid open.

He would have grinned, but he wasn't really in the mood to smile.


	19. Chapter 19

**Right on time - NOT! D: D: D:**

**Actually I have no schedule for this. Honestly this fanfic is kinda like freewriting for me... BUT THAT DOESNT MEAN ITS NOT IMPORTANT! I LOVE YOU ALL MY FOLLOWERS 3 Writing this fanfic just makes me so happy... but since it is just a fanfiction, obviously i place many things above this. Gotta have my priorities straight! But i seriously LOVE YOU and I LOVE this fanfiction! Thank you so much for your support everyone 3**

**This time the chapter is starting with Caden... Oooh...**

**AND BTWWWWWWWWWW I'm still not sure if I'm going to do the Cave of Ordeals and side quests, etc. So if I can't decide, I might make one or two "extra" chapters for those parts. Still debating.**

**ANYWAY~ TO THE STORY!**

*THIS IS A TRANSITION*

_Her long blond hair fell smoothly around her face, and once he met her sapphire eyes, they were all he could see._

"_Caden," she whispered, touching his arm, "come with me." They walked through the village and to the graveyard. "I know it is forbidden, but I cannot stand this any longer." She wrapped her hands around his neck and leaned toward him, very slowly, until their lips brushed..._

"Farore!"

Caden sat up in bed, his face flushed. He'd only seen the princess - Zelda - for a second. But since then she was all he could think about.

What was he supposed to do?

His aunt was dating the shaman, and if that one girl got her memory back, Link got a girlfriend. Talo had even told him that he'd a crush on Luda, and it was pretty obvious that Colin had feelings for that girl Beth.

So why shouldn't _Caden _get someone? Why couldn't _he _have a happy ending?

He sighed and lied back down. If he could sneak past everyone again...

...Then maybe...

..._maybe_...

*THAT WAS A SHORT SCENE I APOLOGIZE*

Link took a step forward, and the room starting caving in.

At least, that's what he thought. A large noise rumbled throughout the room, and the crumbling sound of something snapping echoed afterward. Link ducked covered his head as he heard something crash against the ground. A boulder. Something fell from the ceiling and crashed into the ground around him. The room was caving in. This was not good.

But then nothing else happened. Link looked back up and nothing was happening. Thank the gods; it must have just been an unstable stalactite.

"Whoa!" Link jumped and spun around to see Midna next to him. "That's treacherous..."

He chuckled in approval, then remembered and glared at her. "Why do you care?"

Her expression fell. "I just thought you ought to knock down those other stalactites hanging off the ceiling first." She crossed her arms. "You know. So that you don't die."

She disappeared into his shadow.

Link tried to think_ Good riddance_, but instead he just felt like a complete idiot. He shouldn't be so mean to Midna.

_The person who murdered your father? Why do you keep defending her?! _he thought back agrily. He shouldn't have gotten so close to her. Someone as sketchy as Midna shouldn't have become his friend.

Link tried to think about other things, because each time he thought of Midna, a hole of guilt was drilled deeper and deeper into him. Why? Why did he feel guilty?

He shook his head. _Don't think about it. Think about Ilia. Think about how pretty her smile is. Maybe once you finish this temple, she'll have her memory back._

Holy fuck. She might get her memory back.

As Link pulled out his bow and equipped a bomb with it, his head began spinning with ideas. After he finished finding this Fused Shadow, he would be able to take Ilia back home. If Ilia went home, couldn't she get her memory back?

_Wouldn't _she get her memory back?

His fingers released the bomb-arrow and it struck the boulder above, rattling it and making it crumble and crash into the ground. Ilia... Oh gods, he missed Ilia... Just the thought of seeing her again... Of seeing _her _again, not this girl he didn't know...

Another stalactite struck the ground.

The thought suddenly filled him with such nostalgia he wanted to burst into tears. He missed home. He missed spending time in the spring with Ilia. He missed his house so much it hurt. He missed the kids and their silly games. He thought back to that day, that felt like years ago, when they'd chased the monkey into the woods. He even missed herding the goats every day.

He missed home.

And still, some tiny part of him didn't want to go back. He missed home, but this whole thing had opened up a part of him hungry for adventure that he didn't know he even had. Maybe he was just going to miss Midna.

_Stop thinking about her._

He realized he was just kind of standing there, and decided to advance further in the room. He suprisingly didn't see much in the room, except for tiny green and silver creatures. Weird - the silver part looked shiny.

Almost like armor.

He calmly walked past them, about to ascend the ledges in front of him, when he heard a strange squeak come from behind him. He turned around a moment too late; something rammed into his stomach and knocked the wind out of him, forcing him to tumble to the ground. He winced in pain as he tried to sit up, his stomach in knots. Ouch.

He looked up and was surprised to see one of the tiny creatures. Sure enough, the silvery part was metallic and armor-like. Link scrambled to his feet and out of the way, not wanting to get another blow from one of those things.

He proceeded toward the door and into the next room.

First of all.

Woah.

You would think it would be hard to impress Link, what with everything he'd gone through. But no, size still amazed him, since he grew up in Ordon Village, which was about as small as you could get.

And then there was this room.

What he was standing on was a bridge; across from him was a door, and nothing was in his way except for a lizard-like creature that didn't seem to notice him yet as the room was very shadowy.

Yes, it was dark, but it was also huge.

Like, fucking gigantic.

He couldn't see the end of it. Giant rocks dipped down from the ceiling, coming close to his head, but still to far above to reach. Not to mention that the highest points of the ceiling were _high_. Over the sides of the bridge he saw water rushing past in a large flow. The entire thing felt like a gigantic - and I mean GIGANTIC - cave. It felt dark and damp and a bit ominous as well. But there was still something peaceful about it all. Kind of creepily peaceful.

He stepped out of the shadows into the dim light of a torch hanging above the door opposite him. The creature guarding the door spotted him and charged forward, sporting a knife in its hand. Link unsheathed his sword in a flurry and speared it into the lizard's gut. He pulled it out and sheathed it, looking around wonderously one more time before opening up the door to the next room.

He was greeted by a complex, circular cavern with intricate walls and a giant staircase in the middle. A bright blue chandelier glimmered from the ceiling. He barely knew what to make of it all; He appeared to be standing on the uppermost "floor" of this room, and below him was a vast and complex area. He slowly began to descend the staircase in front of him, gazing around. Vines were everywhere, and the center of the room was surrounded by a large, deep pool of water. When he reached the bottom of the staircase, he looked around. There was a circular walkway extending all the way around the room. And there was still one above and below him. Doors littered the area, and he thought about having to go into every one of those rooms.

He drew his sword as he neared an enemy. It had long, bug-like legs and hopped around much like a bug itself. He slashed it and it crumpled to the ground, its legs looked creepily like a bug's. He wasn't scared of spiders or anything, but this was still pretty creepy.

He continued walking along the walkway. The walls and floor were so decorative... And the place was so big... If he had to keep returning to this place, he had a feeling he was going to get lost very easily.

Most of the doors appeared to be locked, so he wandered toward another one of those lever-looking things hanging from a decorative beam above him. He jumped and held onto it, and was surprised to see the staircase in the center of the room begin to _move_.

The bottom of the staircase stopped right in front of him, and, dazed, Link began climbing. That was so weird!

But, he supposed, useful. He reached the top and looked to his left and right again. He decided to head left. Soon after he passed a door with a giant lock on it, he found that he had reached a dead end. Oh, great. This place had dead ends.

It was a strange gate-like thing, extending very far above his reach and made out of a netty, meshlike material. He thought he could _possibly _climb it, but found no real need to. This place was too huge!

He turned to leave when he heard a sound like a pot rattling. He glanced back and saw a pot in a corner shaking around violently. Like something wanted to get out.

He suddenly thought of the freaky bird thing. As disturbing as that thing was, he supposed it would be useful to have a quick way out of this temple if he needed. He lifted the pot up and jammed his hand inside, retrieving the bird-thing - Oocoo, was she called?

"Phew!" she cried out. "Free at last!" Link set her down and she shook out her feathers, stretching. "Gracious... you're that nice fellow who helped me out the other day! How nice to see you again!"

"Uh... yeeaaah," Link said, the impulse to roll his eyes overpowering. "Let's just -"

"Well, now that we've found each other again, let's stick together for a bit, hmm?"

"Yeah, let's just get going, okay?"

"I'll be right with you, so if you want to warp out, just let me know!" Then she disappeared in a fit of twilight matter, for which he was grateful to Midna. But only for a second.

*OVER TO YOU, CADEN*

"Hey, Princess."

Zelda turned around to see that boy – Link's friend, with the dark hair - climbing through her window. Her face showed little to no surprise, and she said, "You have been spending too much time with _Link_." She spat the last word harshly.

"You got a problem with Link?" he asked, hopping through the rest of the way.

"Why should I tell you?"

"I'm Link's friend. He'd like to know what you think of him."

She sighed. "I...I saw Link a few nights ago. He...well, he was..."

"Go ahead and say it," he said, leaning against the wall next to Zelda. "You know you want to."

She crossed her arms and glared at him, but she found herself begin to speak nonetheless. "He was a horrible, careless, non-mannered son of a bitch."

Caden laughed. "That's Link for ya." Zelda's lips twitched. "He thinks you two are related, you know. Seems to think he's your brother."

"Well, that is impossible. We may be related, but we could not be brother and sister unless Ganondorf was as well. And as everyone knows, he was born ages ago."

"So you can put up an argument." She looked at him, and their eyes met. His were green. They were bright and playful. "Has anyone ever told you how pretty your eyes are?"

She swallowed. "Well, they are Link's eyes as well."

"Hmm. They look better on you."

Zelda smiled slightly. So he was flirting with her. Fooling around. Well, two could play at that game. "What is your name?"

"You can call me Caden."

"Caden...Not bad. Zelda is better, though."

"Yeah. For a girl."

She giggled and rolled her eyes. "You know, I've changed my mind. Should I have a daughter, I think Caden would be a perfect name."

He laughed and shoved her in the shoulder lightly. She began to laugh with him, then slowly stopped. "You should be going."

He looked mock-surprised. "Why? Don't you like me?"

"It's not that, I just...I do not want you to get caught by the guards."

"I won't get caught," he promised. "I'll leave before the next time a guard checks on you. Which should be in about...?"

"Twenty minutes." She crossed her arms. "What if I said I do not want you to stay?"

"Then I would say you were lying."

Her face tinted pink, ever so slightly. "Well, I..." She shook her head slightly. "I am _not _lying when I say I feel uncomfortable with a strange man having broken into my bedroom. You could be an assassin, or a kidnapper, or..."

"But I'm also Link's friend, like I've said before," Caden said, sitting down and leaning against the wall. "And I think you trust me."

She sighed. "I do. And believe me, I have no idea why."

*BACK TO YOU, LINK*

Link banged his fist on the gate in front of him agrily. Now what? Now what?

He paced back and forth, stomping his feet harshly in frustration. He was _completely _lost. There were no doors anywhere that he could get to. The stupid room was a puzzle. He'd found a key in a chest somewhere (with some rupees in it as well; a nice surprise) but he had no clue where it went. It seemed every time he descended a level, the entire place was re-arranged. There was no fucking way around this place. He was lost!

He decided to sit down and lean against the wall. He felt silly admitting it, but maybe singing would calm him down. He opened up his mouth...

"Link!"

He turned to his side and saw Midna floating beside him. He glared.

"What the hell do you want?"

She crossed her arms. "I'm here to _help _you, genius."

"I don't need any help."

"Yes you do. You're lost."

"So what?" His glare intensified. "I'll figure it out."

"Look, I know you're a man, and you hate to admit you're wrong, but you are. You need help, and I can help you."

His hands clenched into fists by his sides. "Really. You really know your whole way around this place? I bet you know exactly where the Fused Shadow is, but you're just too lazy to fight for it yourself."

Her frown deeped. "_Excuse _me? Give me a chance, and I'll prove to you I'm anything _but _lazy." She yawned and stretched, then smirked. "And I don't know my whole way around this place, I just pay more attention than you. There was a door down a level that you walked right by." She disappeared.

His fists shook by his sides with hatred. What was wrong with Midna? It wasn't just him, was it? She was being a fucking bitch. Anyone would agree. He had every right to hate that girl.

*I'M SORRY THESE SCENES ARE SO SHORT*

"Please leave. The guard will be here any moment."

Caden shrugged his shoulders. "I hate to say goodbye."

"I...I do too."

"When can I see you again?"

Zelda turned her back to him. "I do not believe that would be wise."

"You think it's wise to drive ourselves crazy not being able to see each other?" Caden asked, pushing himself into a standing position with his good arm.

She raised an eyebrow. "Maybe so, but it is wiser to not take a risk."

"Well, in that case, it was nice meeting you, Zelda," Caden said, pulling his sling off his arm and tossing it to the ground.

"You might need that," Zelda whispered, her heart racing as Caden stepped closer to her.

"It's fine. It hurts either way."

Their faces were inches apart, and Zelda's breathing became slightly ragged.

Caden suddenly cupped her face in his hands and kissed her.

And she kissed back.

She closed her eyes and time suddenly meant nothing. All that mattered was Caden, his sweet lips on hers and his strong hands on her cheeks. She wrapped her arms around him and rested her hands on his back. "You know," Caden said, pulling away from her, "I can still leave if you want me to."

Zelda smiled and shook her head. "Way too much time with Link," she whispered.

"That can be changed."

She giggled, pulling him back to her.

_Stomp...Stomp...Stomp..._

They pulled apart quickly. "Dammit!" Zelda whispered.

"Guess that's my cue," Caden mumbled, kissing her on the forehead and heading toward the window. "Do me a favor – don't tell the guard about this. I don't anyone getting jealous."

Zelda smiled and laughed. "Goodbye, Caden," she whispered. "Oh!" He turned to look at her. "You will come back, won't you?"

He grinned. "Nope. I only kissed you because I felt like it. It's not like I like you or anything. I definitely don't want to spend more time with you."

"Like I said - "

"Yeah, yeah. Too much time with Link." He hopped out the window, and simultaneously her bedroom door opened and a guard poked his head inside.

"Anything to report?" the man asked, looking around suspiciously.

"No," Zelda said. "Everything is fine."

The guard scanned the room a few times, then decided nothing was out of place and left. Zelda noticed that Caden had forgotten his sling. She leaned down and grabbed it. It was soft, and smelled like him. She closed her eyes and pressed it to her chest, picturing his dark hair and green eyes.

Caden...

Maybe it was not wise to take a risk.

But it was definitely necessary.

*BUT WAIT THERE'S MORE*

Caden landed on the ground with a soft thud, then let his knees collapse beneath him as he leaned against the brick wall of the castle's exterior. He exhaled in relief and tried to get his heart to stop pounding. Good gods, he'd done it. He'd kissed the princess. He kissed Zelda.

Was he cool? Or did he act like a dork? He'd tried so hard to act like Link. Link always knew how to act in situations like those. Just look at Ilia. She couldn't even remember who he was, and she was starting to fall in love with him again. And that was by accident!

At least, he assumed it was by accident. He and Midna were so close, he figured something must be going on between them. I mean, they kind of acted like an old, married couple.

His mind wandered to Zelda again, and he felt his face flush. She was so pretty. He never thought he'd be able to have someone like her... Not after his village was attacked and his crush... well... You know.

His heart shuddered a little and he forced himself to stop thinking about all his friends and family he'd lost in that tradgic, horrific -

No! Stop! Don't think, don't think, don't think...

Caden sighed and climbed up on his horse, still slightly shaky from encountering Zelda. He fingered the small, little box in his pocket absentmindedly, hoping maybe one day he would work up the courage to ask Zelda...

*HINT HINT*

**THANK YOU SO MUCH MY LOVELIES! Im trying, I really am, and I love you all so much! BUT WHOOP WHOOP TESTING JUST ENDED SO NOW I'LL HAVE MORE FREE TIME! Okay so there's still like another... month, maybe? before I'll be completely back on track, but SUMMER IS COMING UP AND I SWEAR ONCE ITS SUMMER I'LL BE UPDATING LIKE ONCE A WEEK, and I know I promise you guys stuff all the time, but THIS TIME I REALLY, REALLY, REALLY REALLY REALLY MEAN IT. I LOVE YOU ALL AND THANK YOU SOOO MUCH FOR READING :D**


	20. Chapter 20

**Heyo guys, sorry that took so long! Ugh Im getting tired of apologizing every time i update. I'm sorry. I'm just so busy. It's summer now! I'm trying to write as much as possible but I think I'm in kind of a writer's block right now, so I'm sorry if it takes so long! Okay let's get back to Link. Sorry but I think this chapter might be a little boring... *sweatdrop***

*THIS IS A TRANSITION*

Link groaned to himself, resisting the urge to say, "Are we there yet?" His legs were starting to ache from walking uphill, and his mind was growing numb from seeing the same thing continuously, with no hope of ending soon.

He was walking up a winding ramp, which he'd been walking on for what felt like hours. Whatever was at the top had better be worth it, because he was just about ready to give up and jump over the side of this thing.

Which would probably kill him.

After what felt like another hour or so (but was really only five minutes), he suddenly found himself standing on flat stone. There was a gate blocking his way forward anymore, but to his left he saw a gate that was underneath a bridge-like structure, which had a ladder on eith side going up.

Link didn't even wait to look at what he was climbing toward, he just jumped on the ladder and started climbing. He couldn't wait to get back down and catch some fish to eat.

When he reached the top, he was thoroughly disappointed. Nothing. There was nothing on top of the beam. He turned to his right, and saw nothing but the wall across from him. He turned to his left and...

...A chest.

Thank Din.

But wait... it was too far away! Link couldn't possibly get to that thing! There was a gate blocking the way, anyway. It was too high for him to climb, but the chest still sat there, perfectly placed and waiting to be looted. Above it were two odd-looking torches.

Scratch that. One torch, and one torch base. Thing.

He wasn't sure what it was, actually. It looked more like a target. It was golden, a bright, shiny, noticable color, with a small red gem in the center. That thing was just dying to be shot at. To its left was an identical target, this one supporting a torch.

Weird stuff.

Link was about to turn around when he noticed something above the targets that was closer to him.

A lot closer, actually.

Because just above his head was a lever. Oh, sweet Nayru, thank you. At least his trip up that ramp wasn't completely pointless. He jumped up and pulled the lever.

Chaos ensued.

A grounding sound rumbled throughout the whole room, and soon water burst from somewhere above him. A waterfall erupted downward and continued flowing violently down the ramp and to the floor of the room. He felt his arms give out and he fell with a splash into the ice-cold but crystal clear water. He dipped his face down and took a huge gulp of water, easing his throat but just reminding his stomach that he needed food.

So he began to walk down again.

Now he was really hungry, and he was going to get his damn food if it killed him.

But here's the thing.

Before he could manage to take one step down the ramp, the water, flowing very quickly, picked him up off his feet and began to carry him.

He was _sliding _down the ramp.

He cried out, which turned into a scream, which became a laugh as he slowly picked up more and more speed. Pretty soon he was going faster than he thought possible, the wind ripping through his hair and water stinging his face as droplets splashed on him.

And then, the bottom dropped out beneath him. He fell into the newly awaiting pool of water beneath him with a splash.

He eventually climbed out of the water and looked around. Water was everywhere now, even flowing under doors! He decided to explore the area to see what changes were caused by all this water, but one thing was still on his mind: Food.

He exited the door he came from and followed the flow of the water. He saw that gears were turning now, giant waterwheels no doubt connected to other things. Dread filled him and he hoped dearly that the temple wasn't going to be rearranged or anything. That would be pure hell.

Scratch that, this already was hell! He'd barely gone through two doors and now he was lost again! He decided to not even explore and just try to get back to that central room, where he at least knew that fish were available to eat.

Although, as things were, he thought it was quite possible for him to starve to death before he found his way back.

*IS THIS BORING SO FAR? I'M SORRY*

Link knew he couldn't be going the right way. He just had a gut feeling that he hadn't been here before. Of course, everything about the temple seemed different now that water was flowing through it, but this tunnel just didn't seem familiar. He tried to think back to whether he'd walked through a tunnel or not, and he honestly just couldn't remember.

Well, there was no turning back now. He'd been stung by one too many jellyfish for this to be for nothing.

It had been getting increasingly darker in the tunnel of water, but as he continued on and slightly upward, he saw light suddenly shine down from above, and he knew he was getting close. He swam up at a suddenly sharper angle and then broke the surface, instinctively taking a gasp of air before remembering that he could breath just fine.

His stomach gave an annoyed rumble as he looked around and saw nothing at all in the room. Nothing.

Nothing.

He groaned in annoyance. Damnit, he was tired of being disappointed. Why wasn't there anything here?! There had to be something.

He felt slightly uneasy.

Why wasn't there anything in this room? He climbed out of the water and onto the floor, which still had a small, ankle deep layer of water above it. He began walking and -

_Crash! Slam!_

... What was that?

He looked behind him to the pool of water he'd just climbed out of and saw with horror that his path was blocked. A giant circular piece of metal had somehow covered itself over the hole.

Now there was no way out.

He walked around in annoyance, seeing nothing in the room but a bunch of plain stone, everywhere he looked.

And then he heard another noise behind him.

This was less obvious, more like tiny little splashes and thumps. But he heard them. Just a couple, and then it stopped.

Something had landed in the water.

He turned around and his stomach growled with longing as he saw it was two plump fish. HIs desire to eat outweighed his curiosity about where these fish had come from, but with dismay he remembered that the entrire floor was covered in water, so there was nowhere to build a fire.

He killed the fish anyway, to keep them from eating his feet, and suddenly, two more fish landed next to him. This time, he looked up, and was horrified to see...

Oh gods-knew-what. It looked like a fish, but it was obviously way, WAY to large to be a fish. Its back was covered in eggs, which it shook its back to release two more of. They fell next to him and burst into tiny little fish the moment they hit the ground.

Ew.

But Link watched with further horror as the fish-frog-beast thing above him began to move. Like, more than shaking its back. It started pushing itself away from the stalactite it was hanging onto, and Link could only stand there in disgust as it fell. It fell, its white belly down, its giant mouth hanging open and revealing a large, fat tongue.

It landed in front of him with a splash, rumbling the room and probably cracking the stone beneath it.

Its eyes were red and beady, and its bottom lip was thicker than his waist. It was just a pile of fat and blubber with lungs and a brain hidden somewhere inside.

Yay. Dinner.

Link winced in disgust as it slowly pushed itself up, the fat under its chin swaying back and forth, and it opened its mouth to reveal a tongue larger than Link, and uttered a sound that was close to a burp.

Link was pretty sure he'd lost his appetite.

He unsheathed his sword and the thing shook its back, letting loose a million tiny eggs which burst into fish. They swarmed around him, and Link killed them by the dozen.

Unfortunately, he was a little too preoccupied with the fish to notice that the frog had jumped in the air.

But he definitely noticed it coming back down.

Everything around him suddenly became darker, and Link managed to sprint out of the way in the nick of time before it landed right where he'd been standing, shaking the ground once again.

Ouch. He should probably avoid that.

But he noticed that instead of getting back up immediately, the frog was just lying there, probably recovering from landing. Since it weighed like fifty tons.

He hurried around the thing, looking for some sort of weak spot, when he remembered its tongue. He ran toward its front and sliced its tongue a few times before stabbing it through and through.

Oh gross. Now his sword was covered in slime.

Disgusting.

It started thrashing around wildly, making that same belching sound over and over again before actually spitting up a large black pile of goo and dying on the floor, shriveling up a little bit.

Link's appetite was definitely gone.

The black goo actually turned out to be a chest, and it took all Link had not to vomit as he opened it. Inside, however, was an interesting looking contraption.

It actually looked quite like a claw, with four bent prongs sticking out one side, which he played with and found that they could open and close. They were connected to a smaller, fabricated part, with an open end at the other side. He slowly, carefully reached inside and felt a small trigger that he didn't hesitate to pull out of curiosity.

He first felt the tug on his arm, and then his whole body was yanked off the ground. He screamed, and then suddenly, the movement stopped. He opened his eyes, which he hadn't realized he'd closed, and looked around.

He was dangling above one of those targets - the golden and red ones. Up close he saw it was actually made out of a netty material that the claw part was gripping. He was dangling from it.

He slowly looked below him, and saw ground actully close by. He released the trigger, and the claw-shooting thingy released its grip on the target. Link landed on the ground with a soft thud. He looked down at the contraption covering his hand in awe.

This thing could come in handy.

*YAY MY FAVORITE ITEM*

Link bit down once again into the tender, juicy meat of the fish, barely chewing it before swallowing and taking another bite. His fingers were greasy and fish bones were scattered around him, but he didn't care. He was just concentrated on eating.

He savored every flavorful, salty, delicious bite, and gradually felt himself growing full. And as his stomach filled, he felt fatique tugging at his eyes. He knew he still had a lot of exploring to do before he found the Fused Shadow, but perhaps a nap was a good idea.

He licked his fingers and put out the fire beside him with some water, then leaned against a wall. He barely closed his eyes before he was alseep.

*THAT WAS A VERY SHORT SCENE*

_"Link..."_

_"Leave me alone, Midna," Link said, but he didn't really mean it. And Midna could tell._

_"Link, come here."_

_He glanced at her over his shoulder, and she was smirking. She was evil._

_And yet still, Link felt himself compelled to turn toward her. He knew she might kill him, but he wanted to go to her anyway._

_"I have something to show you, Link." _

_He shuttered every time she said his name. It rolled off her tongue sweetly. Link, Link, Link..._

_He turned toward her. "What do you want to show me?"_

_But he already knew the answer. She came closer to him, lips parted slightly, and he leaned forward, too. Their noses touched, just barely, and soon their breath mixed._

_And their lips met._

And Link sat bolt upright, gasping for breath, his face red.

...

...

...What just happened?

Link felt his face grow even warmer. He probably looked like a tomato right now. He could feel his cheeks burning.

Whatever. It was just a dream, right? Why did he care? It wasn't like he enjoyed the dream. He couldn't control his thoughts. Midna was just on his mind because of the fight, right? That dream couldn't mean anything more than he very, very slightly missed Midna's presence, and he just happened to be thinking about her. He didn't like her and DEFINITELY didn't want to kiss her.

He felt himself begin to calm down, and he closed his eyes to return to sleep. But he found them snapping back open every few seconds.

Oh well. He was up now.

He stood up and picked up his items, including his newly obtained clawshot, and made his way throughout the room. He rotated the staircase, pretending like he knew what he was doing, and entered a door that he hadn't gone through already, hoping to discover somewhere important.

After going through a few doors, he found himself in a room he didn't recognize. Good. He was making progress.

Sort of.

There was a problem, though... He didn't see how he was supposed to get from the platform he was standing on, to the one over there.

Below him, the ground was so far away he couldn't even see it. It just faded into darkness a few hundred feet down.

Well that's just.

Fucking.

Perfect.

He felt himself begin to get dizzy, and he took deep breaths to will away the nausea. He forced himself to pull out the clawshot and looked for a target to aim it at.

Damn. He didn't see a target, just some stupid vines.

Wait.

Could he hook the clawshot onto the vines?

Oh gods. Did he even want to risk trying?

He decided that no, he did not, so he lowered his arm and turned to leave. Maybe some other time. He didn't exactly want to risk dying today.

"Idiot, where are you going?"

The voice was soft, but he recognized it. And upon hearing it, his face began to burn as memories of his dream returned.

"I-I'm, uh, going back. There's no way across," he said, trying to sound angry. He turned and looked her in the eye, but felt himself unable to keep looking at her.

"Well, you have to go that way to release more water," Midna said, her voice rising. "Just hook that thing onto the vines over there. You'll be fine."

Link stared down at his feet, awkwardly trying to avoid Midna's gaze. Memories of his dream were flooding back, and though a part of him was disgusted, another part - a VERY TINY part - longed for it to be real. He did NOT like Midna. He hated her freaking guts. She was mean and selfish and cold-hearted and sneaky, mysterious, sarcastic, funny, pretty...

_No! No, she's evil!_ Midna was from the _Twilight Realm_! Those were bad guys, not friendly, interesting, red-eyed -

Stop.

No. Link realized that Midna had stopped talking. Something about her clueless (cute) stare made sorrow and then hot anger fill him. "What are you looking at?!" he said a litle too loudly.

"I _was _talking you into getting across, but you got all weird and wouldn't look at me and... are you blushing?"

Link shot daggers at her. "Leave me alone!" He didnt' know why he was yelling at her; he didn't want to, but it was like he couldn't control himself. "I don't want to talk to you right now!"

A hurt expression crossed Midna's face. It was very, very slight, but it was there. Link's stomach sank with guilt, but he couldn't say anything. It was like he had no control over his words.

_Wait, Midna!_ he thought heatedly, _Don't cry, don't leave! I didn't mean it! _"I - "

He finally forced himself to talk, but the moment his mouth opened, she disappeared into his shadow.

Damn. Damn him. Damn her! Damn everything! Link kicked the wall in front of him. Farore, why was he so angry?! He could just... ugh!

He heard a noise behind him and, without hesitation, spun around and sliced his sword through the gut of whatever was waiting. Stupid lizard. Stupid temple.

Goddess damned water temple.

*WHAT A HAPPY NOTE TO END ON*

**Thank you so much for reading, and I hope you keep reading this fic even though I barely ever update! I'm trying, okay? I'm sorry... We've got some action coming up after this temple though, so I'll be more eager to write after that! Plus now that school's out, I have more time to write so... See you next time! Byyyeeeee! :)**


End file.
